Last week I showed you part one of my San Francisco thrift shopping adventure {including a shop with vintage clothes for $10 per pound} and now it’s time for part two. Towards the end of my trip I checked out the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where about a half dozen thrift stores are all within a few blocks of one another.

My first stop was Goodwill {1700 Haight St}. Initially I was turned off by the rack of shirts where the average price was $12. Hmm, I can do better than $12 for a shirt a Goodwill. I kept it moving towards the dress rack and found two adorable dresses, $5 each…

I love this lace, LBD with beading at the bodice.

The polka dots are super cute and on trend. The dress even has side pockets.

Moving up Haight St I saw another familiar secondhand shop, Buffalo Exchange {1555 Haight St}.

I have to admit, I went over budget a little bit once I hit this store, but more on that when I do my monthly round up next week. Buffalo is a great place to go if you want really trendy pieces in an organized setting. But you’re going to pay a but more for some items.

Though I found really affordable pieces like a sequin top and these lace shorts…

It was a color block, high low top at $20 that was the biggest “splurge,” but I think it was worth it, no?

Lastly, I made a pit stop to Held Over {1543 Haight St}, a cute vintage shop. They’re actually owned by Retrocity Fashions, which also owns Clothes Contact, the $10/pound vintage shop I mentioned earlier.

It was really organized and had cute categories like 80s sparkle, slinky soapstar dresses, 1970s disco, etc. However, the prices were around $60 for dresses…that was on the low end. A little too rich for my thrifty blood.

I only ended up buying a skull and bone handkerchief, which was $2.

I didn’t have time to check out other shops like Crossroads Trading and Static, but they’re first on my list whenever I make it back to the Bay.

What’s your favorite piece that I found? Do you think the high low top was worth the $20?

The pic above is what I wore while shopping in San Francisco. Fitted jeans allow for comfort and make it easy to try a dress or slacks on over them. And I had a button down shirt with a tank underneath which let me quickly and easily remove them so I could try tops and cardigans on in the middle of the aisles. And of course flats are a must. Thrifting takes time and can be competitive, so there’s nothing cute about teetering around in four inch heels.

But as the weather warms up, I switch my thrift look up a bit.

Tanks
Sandals

Though fitted jeans are ok, leggings are much better at allowing you to try pieces on over your clothes. This comes in handy of your thrift store doesn’t have a fitting room. A flowy tunic is stylish and when worn with a tank, is easy to slip out of. A top with a ton of buttons would just be annoying. A small, cross body bag also frees your hands.

I’m a serious stiletto lover but I tend to stay away from them if I know I’ll be shopping. But some sandals can also be troublesome. Thong sandals are way too easy to slip out of when you don’t intend to. I’ve seen people lose sandals at a really crowded sale, especially one like the Housing Works Buy the Bag, where you’re stepping over piles of clothes. Pick a shoe or sandal that’s securely on your foot but doesn’t have too many straps or buckles that make it a time consuming process to get out of them.

Tanks
Flats

I also think a cute skirt or maxidress is a thrift appropriate outfit. Hike the skirt up to try some threads {another skirt, shorts, pants, etc} on underneath it.

Whether you choose fitted jeans, leggings or a skirt, you don’t want any items that are uncomfortable {heels}, cumbersome {oversized bag} or too bulky {sweaters} to try items on over them.

So what’s your go-to thrift shopping outfit? Are you more of a leggings and t-shirt or skirt girl? Do you feel comfortable trying clothes on in the aisles if there’s no fitting room? 

Earlier this week I gave you guys a look at what I wore during my San Francisco trip. But you know I couldn’t venture to a new city without checking out the thrift shopping scene. Let me tell you, San Fran thrifting is amazing! I thrifted last year in L.A. but the Bay Area is by far {in my opinion} superior and more convenient. I actually had two days of secondhand shopping, but for today, let’s focus on the shopping I did in the Mission. Chandra from MoMoMod suggested I check this area out and I’m glad she did.

The Mission is a pretty colorful neighborhood in its design {peep the awesome mural above} and the eccentric personalities. My first stop of the day was Thrift Town {2101 Mission St}. As soon as I walked in, I knew I was going to become BFFs with Thrift Town. It was organized and massive: two floors and pretty spread out.

People frequently tell me they feel overwhelmed when walking in to a thrift store, but nowadays, more of them are organizing based on garments and even color.

On the day I was there, anything with a blue tag was half off, so I naturally went looking for blue tagged items. After an hour of shopping, I had an overflowing cart of goodies that needed to be paired down, as I wanted everything to fit in my large carry-on.

I ended up buying…

Sweetheart neckline H&M dress

An oversized, silk shirt

Satin LBD from Express

A sturdy straw bag, which is perfect for summer

In total I spend $17 {the pink dress wasn’t half off, grr}. After getting a bite to eat {thrifting is a serious work out}, I made my way to Mission Thrift {2330 Mission St}

…but it was closed!

However, there was no need for disappointment, I walked a few blocks over to Valencia Street where there are a few other secondhand shops. I randomly stumbled in to Community Thrift but I was less than impressed and walked out five minutes later. But I hit the jackpot with Clothes Contact {473 Valencia St}, a vintage shop where clothes are $10 per pound.

This was another store where items were organized by decades {50s, 60, etc} and even fun categories like 80s sparkle, velvet and cocktail.

The garments here were amazing, especially if you favor girly dresses, sequins or vintage blouses. However, I did notice stains, tears and missing sequins and beads on quite a few pieces, so as with any secondhand shop, inspect everything closely.

I spent close to two hours in the shop and picked up almost a dozen pieces {high waisted jean shorts, cropped top, skirts, etc.} for $31 but below are three of my top pieces…

Though I’ve heard you’re not supposed to wear a Boy Scouts shirt unless you were an actual member, there were two racks of troop shirts and I had to get this badge-heavy one.

Clothes Contact also had a large bin of lingerie {slips, garter belts, etc} that was so reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Call me crazy but I want to wear this slip as a dress, by either wearing something underneath or adding a liner. It has such a summery, breezy feel.

My favorite piece has to be this black gown I found on the “90s prom” rack. Lace bodice with metal clasps and a slit up the back, what’s not to love? I have no idea where I’ll wear this, but I love it.

I didn’t have time or energy left to check out the Goodwill {1580 Mission St} but I ened up scoring some pieces at Goodwill on Haight St. a few days later.

Check back next week for part two of my San Francisco thrifting trip. The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood has back to back thrift and vintage stores and I found some great thrift store scores.

If you have a closet full of clothes that are just collecting dust and taking up space, why not revamp your wardrobe? I’m looking for a woman who will let me go through her closet and tell her how she can cash in on those old clothes. During the Pix 11 segment, we’ll find creative ways so you can get rid of the old and free up some cash for a new wardrobe! Updating your style on a budget is something we can all use, especially with the upcoming summer months.

You should:

• Live in NYC
• Be available to film Tuesday {5/22} morning and afternoon
• Allow myself and the camera person access to your home and closet
• Have awesome, gently worn clothes you need to get rid of

• name
• age
• occupation
• where you live
• what kinds of clothes you’re looking to get rid of
• please include a photo of yourself and if possible, your closet and some clothes

The segment will be fun {peep my other Savvy Shopper videos here}, so send those emails in ASAP!

During my first day in the city I went for a denim top {Salvation Army} and cobalt blue maxi skirt {Goodwill}. The skirt was actually free because I redeemed my Goodwill Rewards Card points. If you’re a serious Goodwill thrift shopper, check with your local store to see if they have one of these cards, you won’t regret it.

To make the shirt a bit more casual, I cuffed the sleeves and knotted the ends.
I left the heels at home {the hills of San Fran are no joke!} so my feathered flats from Housing Works were my constant companion and though I was on vacay, I still had to whip out a few accessories.
During one of my last day’s in San Francisco, I took a bike tour. Yes. Me. Biking. Strange, right? I hadn’t been on a bike in more than 15 years, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to bike through San Fran and across the Golden Gate Bridge. In total, the tour was about three or four hours, so comfort and function was at the top of my list.

I felt the day called for some bright hues, so I threw on simple t-shirt and purple jeans {both $1 each from the Housing Works Buy the Bag sale} and pink Chucks.

Bright jeans are a huge trend and I was fortunate enough to pay just $1 for them! Some people think thrift stores don’t have trendy pieces, but that’s simply not the case. Fashion is so cyclical so what was in style years ago is back in style now, like florals, polka dots and stripes. You’ll find a ton of these pieces at thrift stores. Check out my post how to thrift shop current trends for more info.

My look was fashionable, yet functional and I successfully biked across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Of course I had to do some thrift shopping while I was in San Francisco, so check back in later this week for my thrifted finds. I had no idea San Fran had such an awesome thrifting scene! I even found a vintage shop that sells clothes for $10 per pound.

Week 32 of my Thrifty Threads 365 challenge {a full year where I only buy second-hand clothing} is down. Only 20 more weeks to go!

In need of some affordable thrifted and vintage finds, be sure to check out the Looking Fly on a Dime Shop. I’ve added some new pieces and from now until 5/19, you can gett 15% off any purchase. Use promo code SANFRAN