Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The Fearless Clothing Swapper












Check me out in New York Magazine: Tracy at Swap-O-Rama! The writer approached me because I had so many darn bags. I know before I venture to a swap that I'm gonna leave with more than I came with, but I really outdid myself at the Swap-O-Rama in April. Since then, I've been to countless swaps, including the recent, hot-and-sticky Thrift On! on the Botanica Bar in the East Village.

And swaps aren't the only place to find cool clothes for free. Take a look at the above photos to see a couple great garments I found on the street. Wow, I really am a bag lady, huh?

I found the long, vintage plaid skirt after an abandoned stoop sale in downtown Brooklyn. It had the $40 price tag from Ollie's -- a vintage store in Carroll Gardens -- still attached. And the unique, checker and flower print dress...well... I grabbed that sucker from under a fence in Clinton Hill. No, I'm not kidding. I'm serious about my freebies and that fence wasn't going to come between me and a cool dress. Remember, only suckers pay retail!

Friday, June 01, 2007

The Mod Squad


These are a few of the priceless, '60s frocks I found at Beacon's Closet
(photos below), the notorious Brooklyn consignment shop where you can buy, sell, and trade for clothing and accessories. If you've been turned off by the sometimes snooty attitude of Beacon's hipster employees, don't let that stop you from getting your thrift on. After all, having Beacon's turn down the bags of what you thought were pretty cool clothes that you lugged from your not-so-close abode, is like a fearless shopper's right of passage. And the more you become familar with Beacon's style, the luckier you'll be. My last trip, I got credit for $95!

The Park Slope store (220 5th Ave.; 718-230-1630) has a reliable mix of contemporary pieces from H&M, Forever 21, and other fashionable outlets and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces. At the Williamsburg store (88 N. 11th St.; 718-486-0816) -- where I traded several pair of too-skinny, skinny jeans I got on FreeCycle and scored my first and only Coach bag -- leans more towards vintage and designer apparel.

Now I have my own Vintage Store on Etsy, Tracy's Pop & Shop Too, where you can purchase two of the dresses pictured (not the black multi-color dress from Paris because it's one of my favorites).

Long red and blue dress originally from Rome

Black, multi-color dress originally from Paris

Blue and white flower dress originally from Rome