Winter warmers [Part 2]

Well in the last week, Perth has actually felt some cold. Wet stuff has been falling from the sky causing traffic to stop (Perth drivers…)

This was one of those Melbourne coats and it’s long enough to cover my butt (important when it’s cold) but short enough to be stylish and cool and chic and all those other things that I definitely am not in the middle of winter.

And on the other end of the classy and chic spectrum, a corduroy jacket. Worn to events such as: parties where I know I’m going to be huddled by a bonfire; gigs where all the band members have longer hair than I do; farms.

Replace farms with bars and you will have occasions when this red/purple denim jacket is appropriate.

All the classy bloggers have trench coats and so do I. Unfortunately, I don’t own enough Breton stripe shirts and circle skirts to make this work, so this coat sits in my closet. Sorry, trench coat.

On the other hand, I wear this wool coat constantly. I bought it for my first big backpacking trip – Europe in the dead of winter – and it still has museum ticket stubs and a tube map in the pockets. And as you can see, my cat has made it his bed.

Then we have this leather jacket. It smells as rock n roll as it looks (smoke, beer and cat pee) so it can’t actually go in my wardrobe. Instead, it’s has to hang on the wall for all to see. Which is kinda good seeing as this is THE coolest jacket to grace this Earth. Yup, I called it.

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So that all (most?) of what I have. Certainly more warm coats than there are cold days here. Maybe it’s time to redonate a few – which is bound to end with me doing a bit of browsing and replacing what I’d just donated. But get down to your local oppie because trust me, there’s no shortage of great winter wear.

Now who wants to help me hang these all up?

Winter warmers [Part 1]

Now that Perth has finally received the memo that it is Autumn, it’s time to discuss the absolute best thing that you can find at op shops:

COATS! JACKETS! CARDIGANS! JUMPERS!

Seriously, winter clothes are the easiest thing to find at op shops. They’re big and bulky and easy to find. They’re always cheaper than buying new. There’s just so much great winter wear in every. single. op shop.

To prove my point, I decide to go and photograph all the wintery clothes I’ve bought from op shops. But to even further prove my point, I have too many for a single post so this is going to be a double post.

Without further adieu;

The fleece lining in this bomber jacket is removable which has made it perfect for the cold-but-not-freezing Autumn days.

Short, faux fur jacket. I’ve posted about my Lisa Ho bargain but the problem is that I’m too scared to wear it when there’s a chance I’ll spill wine on it or leave it behind somewhere. But this coat isn’t real fur so in my mind, that means it’s a bit more durable and perfectly fine to wear to bars when I’m planning on buying a bottle of wine and only asking for one glass.

Yup, it’s a denim jacket, what more is there to say? I also have a lighter blue for light blue denim occasions.

Brown coat that I bought in Melbourne – it has a hood, toggles and pockets and is everything you need in a cute coat. And when I went op shopping last weekend, I spotted several similar coats so now you have no excuse to not own one.

The biggest, comfiest cardi in the world. This is the one I wear on Friday nights when I’m having a night in or on Monday mornings when I wish it was still the weekend. Bonus comfy points for it being handmade.

And then we have the classy cardi. For around Wednesday when I want to wear something a bit nicer (houndstooth = nice, right?) and a bit interesting.That’s when this cardigan comes in.

Ok, I said the earlier cardigan was the best ever but clearly I was wrong. This cardigan with an amazing pattern and metal hardware is the best. And it was made in Norway which is basically the coldest place on Earth so you’d hope they’d make toasty warm cardigans (spoiler: they do – this cardigan is surprisingly warm).

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So that’s approximately half of what I’ve got in my wardrobe. I’ll post the other half later this week. Or maybe later this month, no promises here.

Fancy pants liquor cabinet

So in the previous post, I mentioned that I was meant to be picking up a buffet but it didn’t fit in my car. Weeeeeell I finally found a bigger car.

It fits perfectly into the space under the stairs and I finally get to show off all the crockery and glassware I’ve found at op shops over the years. Greg also bought some wine racks (complete with wine) off Gumtree so we’ve kind of cultivated a little booze corner.

I’m giving us +1 adult points.

Gumtree freebies

I’ve been on the lookout for something that I can use as a liquor cabinet. I like to believe that if I have somewhere classy to store my alcohol, I won’t drink it as fast. I’ll let you know how that plan goes.

Anyway, I saw an ad on Gumtree for a !!FREE!! buffet that would be perfect. When I found out it hadn’t yet been claimed, I knew I’d have to go that day to collect it or risk missing out.

Turns out the person who placed the ad was employed to prepare houses for sale (rad job!). Usually she’d be given the task of cleaning a few dust bunnies before moving on to painting and laying new carpets, but this house was from a deceased estate and the family had left a whole lot of furniture and stuff behind.

The lady let us rummage through the boxes and wow WOW WOW there was so much amazing stuff. All my retro dreams came true, especially with the flour and sugar canisters.

Check it out!

 

Does anyone know much about radios?

And FYI – the buffet never even fitted into my little car. But don’t worry, I’ll be back with a bigger car on the weekend because it is perfect!

Are op shoppers driving price rises?

Today we’re going to get a bit serious and naval-gazey here at opshopped with the following question;

Is it ok to shop at op shops when you can afford to shop elsewhere?

In the world of recycled fashion, furniture and homewares, we’ve been hailing op shops and op shoppers for years. It’s cheap, sustainable and it’s funding non-profit organisations such as the Salvation Army and RSPCA.

Many bloggers have a addressed the issue of rising costs at op shops. I’m never surprised to be paying $10 for a dress or several hundred for a piece of furniture. As most people have pointed out, the costs of running a store have risen and like any business, these costs need to be passed on to the consumer.

But I’m willing to bet that part of the reason for rising costs is demand. Op shopping is cool now; follow any fashion blog and you’ll often see people proudly stating that part of their outfit is thrifted or vintage.

If an op shop can get $10 for a dress, why would they sell it for $3? They may be not-for-profit but the more money they make, the more they can put towards their charity and that can be passed on as more food vouchers or more beds in an animal shelter or more marketing to change government policies.

But for many people, $10 for a dress is quite a lot. Op shops have always been the go-to for people with little to no disposable income and just because it’s becoming cool to buy second hand does not mean that everyone is suddenly able to afford the price rises.

I’ve often felt that when it comes to pricing, op shops should be able to inflate the prices on vintage clothing or brands but keep basics cheap. It’s always felt like a nice compromise and after all, I’m willing to pay a bit extra for something more unique.

But why should I be able to buy something different (that I can proudly say “it’s vintage!”) just because I can afford it? Why should I get to wear all the cool clothes? A few posts back, I mentioned I bought a Lisa Ho fur jacket for $50 which is a total bargain for me, but pretty expensive for some of the people who were shopping at the time. Should the name brand stuff be off limits to those who are just looking for cheap clothes out of necessity?

To be honest, I don’t see myself not op shopping because I do feel like the money I’m spending  that go toward important causes have a bigger effect than price rises I may be causing. I also like that my money goes towards non-profits rather than shareholders. And let’s face it; I like buying something that to me is cheap, unique and durable.

I’d like to hear what other people think – I’ve really only touched on women’s clothing here, but maybe also consider furniture, books and kid’s clothing. If you’re brave, you can discuss the murky world of reselling from op shops.