Vintage shopping is the BEST.

I always hate it when I buy something and then see someone else wearing the exact same thing on the street. That happens quite often here since I buy the bulk of my clothes from H&M (alas, a college student budget doesn't buy you much else). Well thrift-ing is a sure-fire way to find those pieces that NOBODY else has.

I did a little derive today, going left then right, then left again. I think I did this several times without finding anything interesting, but it finally led me to a vintage store in the 11th called Come On Eileen. It wasn't just ANY vintage store, it was a 3-floor vintage-lover's dream! Walls were crammed with vintage pieces - and if you search, you can even find Chanel, Dior & Lanvin on the racks (very expensive, of course). My favorite is their collection of vintage glasses & frames - as a lover of nerdy glasses, its not surprising that I went there first.

But this derive got me thinking:

Vintage shopping is not always Thrifting

Yes. It seems absurd to pay more for a worn Chanel 2.55 from the 70s than a brand new one, but it's about getting that one-of-a-kind piece. Today's society has an obsession with the new, but the new can be reproduced and mass-distributed. Vintage shopping is all about an appreciation for the unique and the past. What's more, its about making the past relevant today.

In Paris, I've witnessed that that buying vintage is much more about getting that unique item than it is about price. It's relatively difficult to find a vintage store in Paris that only sells items under 40 or 50 euros. Yet when you go back to the States, it seems absurd that a vintage store will charge 300 dollars on a used leather jacket.

I think the dig is also a bit disconcerting - you walk into a tiny room with all walls covered in racks of clothing that are packed so tightly you can barely get them out. But when you find that special number, you feel like your search was more than worth it!