Examine a margarita closely and you’ll find many of the elements involved in my vintage shopping excursions throughout Austin, TX.
Please imagine the following:
Salt- Represents the profuse reapings of my sweat glands
Green hue- My rabid outfit jealousy
Sassy citrus flavor- Funky vintage finds of equal or greater sass-levels
Consequent loss of clothing- My abundance (some may say superfluity) of time in various fitting rooms
Inevitable hangover- The searing headache, sore feet and ceaseless questioning of personal morals
Now that I’ve laid out the cast, I’d like to preface the “action” portion with a little ditty composed by yours dearly.
Three days and no car can only take one vintage lover so far.
The following account represents a mere iota of the endless bounty that is Austin’s thrifting and vintage scene…are you bored? Does this feel like the airplane safety speech that effectively serves as background music whilst you hastily fire off last minute texts and wish vehemently that you had opted to use the bathroom one last time BEFORE you clambered into that window seat?
Well, fine. Let’s move on.
If my Austin vintage experience was likened to The Oscars, the awards would be doled out as such:
Shop most likely to render its inhabitants looking like they just stepped off the set of Napoleon Dynamite: St. Vincent de Paul. Though they do have commendable prices.
Best area to find affordable, funky vintage: UT-Austin. Namely, Buffalo Exchange and Monkies Vintage.
Most pretentious sales associates: Feathers. A word of advice- Do not dare breath the words “Salvation Army” in their presence. You will be shunned.
Nicest sales associates! Flashback vintage. And they have great pieces.
Most interesting yet terrifying experience: Goodwill Blue Hanger Outlet. A warehouse filled with bins of questionably stained clothing priced at around a dollar per pound. No, I did not have a spasm at the keyboard. No I would not recommend going, in retrospect.
Best place to shop if you want a bomb margarita afterward: South Congress Neighborhood.
Best place to shop if you’d rather hit up a frat party afterward: Buffalo Exchange by UT. I saw many a sorority girl dropping off her discarded Anthropologie. You might kindly ask one of them to direct you.
Overall fave: We have a tie! Monkies Vintage and Buffalo exchange were both super kool. Prices were reasonable and the pieces were fun and fresh as the juice bar down the road.
Featured in today’s photos, we have a shocking pink dress from Monkies Vintage. Price? Round 10 dollars. Can’t beat it. Our second look features A.) One badass kimono from Buffalo Exchange and B.) An ethereal top from Free People, also found at the Buffalo Exchange. Total price for these two winners: Around $30. A downright splurge for this Garbage Lady. All featured bling is the product of Canned Goods. Incredible stuff, guys. Check out our interview with the owner.
The Pink Dress photos were shot by the wonderfully talented Monique Rodriguez. Find her on Facebook or Instagram or check out her Website
And the Kimono pics? Credit goes to the amazing Steve Ingenito of Country Sleep Photography. Find him on Facebook or peek his Instagram and Website
These talented people were both incredible to work with so if you happen to be in the Austin area and need a photographer, please check them out!