In the wardrobes of Olivia, Ornella, Lyne, Lisa, Akkim and Bastien, there are nuggets. Favorite clothes, which these readers of 20 minutes found very cheaply in thrift stores. On the occasion of Vintage fairwhich takes place Saturday and Sunday, at the Parc Expo in Montpellier (Hérault), and which, like every year, will give pride of place to thrift stores, these fashion enthusiasts describe to us these clothes that they love so much.
Olivia is a second-hand shopping expert. “I spend my life on Vinted, and in thrift stores,” confides this Swiss woman, who finds pearls “at least once a month”. In particular “Levi’s 501 jeans for 15 CHF (Swiss francs, or 15.50 euros) or a cotton t-shirt with a nice print for 4 CHF (4.10 euros)”. But her best find remains this “magnificent Max Mara coat”, which she discovered two weeks ago in a thrift store, “placed carelessly on an armchair”, she smiles. “Pure wool, brown,” explains Olivia. “A little too big, but perfect for wearing it a little “oversized”. She paid 29 CHF (30 euros) for it. “The deal of the year,” she assures us, “when we know that this kind of coat, even second hand, costs around 200 euros! »
“We feel like we have the “Devil Wears Prada” wardrobe! »
Ornella can no longer do without her Burton jacket, with a leopard pattern. She fell head over heels for it in a thrift store in Paris a few years ago. “I paid 5 euros for it! », she is still surprised. “It’s super quality, it doesn’t move, and the leopard print is timeless. It’s great to have a bit of high-end clothing in your wardrobe. We have the impression of having a bit of the wardrobe from the film The devil wears Prada ! » Lyne remembers finding a Kanuk coat in a thrift store for around 4.5 euros. Or silk scarves, for pennies. Akkim found a “magnificent jacket” in a consignment store in Montpellier, which he loves. As for Lisa, she no longer lets go of her “magnificent gingham suit from the 2000s”, which she bought for not very expensive, in a second-hand store.
Bastien, passionate about fashion, spends hours browsing in thrift stores. Notably at the Vibes Vintage Shop, at the Saint-Ouen flea market, near Paris. There are in particular, there, “Levi’s 501 jeans from the 1990s in perfect condition or incredible t-shirts, with all the references from our childhood”, rejoices this crazy about clothes, who loves to buy “vintage, but ultra-stylish.” The last time he popped into this store, he left with three gems, for cheap: a Carhartt jacket, Levi’s 501 jeans (him again!) and a “magnificent” Bob Marley t-shirt, s he enthuses.
Second-hand store customers also seek to “differentiate themselves”
If these fashionistas love these clothes so much, it’s because they didn’t ruin them, at the checkout, obviously. Because second hand is ecological, too. But, above all, because thrift store customers seek “to differentiate themselves,” confides to 20 minutes Audrey Quenin, the founder of the Montpellier Vintage Show. They seek to stand out by dressing in clothes that were fashionable in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s, which are experiencing a real “resurgence”. It is rather rare, in fact, when you dress in a blazer with shoulder pads, a Poivre Blanc sweater or a Schott bomber jacket to meet a work colleague or a classmate dressed in the same way.
And there are, among the most sought-after clothes, some stars. “At the Vintage Show, there will be winter coats in leather, wool, etc.,” explains Audrey Quenin. Coats that women, at the time, sewed for themselves. Or old Levi’s jeans that have really gotten weathered over time. » The other thing that is going strong, with the comeback of sportswear, are the old tracksuits from the 1980s and 1990s. “Especially the ones that we didn’t want our parents to ask us to wear, the ones with the big fluorescent strip, laughs Audrey Quenin. Or the Adidas snaps! » Yes, you had one, I know, and it was anguish. U.S. too.