Fashion thrift shopping

Here are some of my favourite thrift shops, op shops, charity stores, and second-hand boutiques that I’ve visited in Auckland and Wellington, says Briahna Patterson, and a thrift-fashion shoot to get you started on your hunt for those special items.

Wellington

• Recycle Boutique – Fashion treasures are hidden here amongst the racks of both past and present clothing. You will definitely pick up something with the original price tag on it for even cheaper than it was first bought.

• Hunters and Collectors – Quite a pricey shop filled with one-off items, designer clothing, and furniture. It is well worth having a look around; it’s almost like a historic fashion gallery, or wearable art.

• Salvation Army – This place has everything and has the extra bonus of super cheap pricing.

• Ziggurat – This is a fun store with a lot of pretty pieces and affordable pricing. A lot of the items are high quality and very vintage.

• Past & Present – This place is filled with new-aged and old-aged fashion, hence the name.

• Emporium – Very indie with a lot of old labels and brands. They are very popular for their leather and branded T-shirts. If you are a 90’s girl you will love this place.

Auckland

• Tango – This place has a lot of vintage collectable clothing and their layout is like a walk in wardrobe which is every woman’s dream. It is even better as the owner has exquisite taste – very European.

• Smoove – This store has gotten more popular over the years. It has a lot of great eccentric and vintage leathers if you are a James Dean fan.

• Coucou – This is a girl’s paradise. The layout is warm and welcoming and nicely accessible with varieties of colours and unique designs for all ages.

• City Designers Market – Everything is here. I mean everything. The items sell quickly meaning you would need to get in there fast and maybe visit more than just the one time.

• Recycle Boutique – This place is the same as Wellington. There are a lot of fashionable goodies. Again, I recommend this great boutique.

• Emporio U – A ladies’ Designer Recycle boutique. This is a cute little shop hidden in Auckland. You are bound to grab something one-off and unique here.

• Salvation Army – Again, this place has everything you could imagine. From clothes to music to furniture, you name it, it’s there.

Here are some styling inspirations I photographed last week to help with some ideas. Everything in my photographs are either thrift shop or super cheap outlet items.

This season, pop art is the ‘in’ thing – summer colours are now the winter colours. Be open with yourself and get creative. I have shown the clashes of pastel mints and hot reds, through to traditional Mexican colours, and overlaid prints and patterns with every accessory you can think of.

So go ‘pop some tags’ and see what you can unravel in the depths of those thrift shop aisles. Happy shopping.