My secret for designer deals...

V

vanessa225

Member
Jan 23, 2007
692
1
#1
Ok girls... For months now, I've been going to a certain thrift shop in Chicago and finding the best deals on designer duds. Today, for example, I scored a vintage Burberry sweater vest for $7.00 and a black Kate Spade bag for $10.00.

I'm reluctant to tell too many people where I shop since A) a lot of people turn their noses up at thrift shops, and B) I don't want too many other people there, getting to all the good stuff before I do!

But, I thought I'd be nice and share the name of this shop with my fellow TPF-ers, just in case any of you happen to be in the Chicago area. The name of the shop is the "Brown Elephant," and there are actually 3 different locations in the Chicago area.

The one I always go to is in Oak Park, off Austin & Harrison, in the arts district. I've found the best deals there! Ferragamo, Armani, Burberry, Chip & Pepper, 7FAM, Theory, etc. The other good one is the flagship store in Boystown, on North Halsted. That's where I scored my $6.00 Frye boots. The 3rd location is in Wicker Park, but the one time I went there, it was a huge mess and I didn't find anything.

The best part -- the shop is owned by the Howard Brown Health Clinic, which offers free healthcare to disadvantaged Chicagoans, and all the proceeds from their thrift shops go toward AIDS research. So, by shopping there, I'm doing a good deed as well as getting some awesome deals!

Happy thrifting! :P
 
#2
That rocks! I just love local, direct, hands-on orgs, the smaller and more direct the better.

I will say no thank you to the biggest fattest most popular "charity" hooking up with huge retail chains, with their huge ad campaigns, asking people to add a dollar to their total, and put the dollar with anything else I can possibly afford for the little old lady nobody knows about, on social security herself, who makes hot lunches and very quietly makes sure that any homeless or hungry folks in her neighborhood get them, and eat them! ;)
 
#3
Sounds like fun! I bought some Kors boots that were brand new in a consignment shop here in New Orleans for $20! They still had the $600 price tag on them and were in the box. I love thrift stores/consignment shops.
 
#12
I love thrift shops. Florida had some of the best ones ever. My friend was going thru a divorce and her rich hubby cut off her funds and took money from her bank, it was a hard time for her. She went to court wearing a $10.00 thrift shop suit (with the tags attached) and her hubby's lawyer went on and on about her designer clothing habit and he just wouldn't stop about her so called spending money, she stood up and showed the court her $10.00 clothing tag and told the court she had to shop at thrift shops for her clothes, which we loved to do. But she did have the last laugh in court.
 
#15
I went to Brown Elephant in Boystown a few days ago and VANESSA, I commend you. I was not able to find anything more chic than a ratty Ann Taylor top. Plus, the crowd there scared me a little! Thanks for the tip anywhere, maybe I just went on a bad day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back