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I've always had a soft spot in my heart for my local op-shops. I've been going frequently since I was a young, (and poor) high school student where I would skip my classes to visit my local Vinnies, hunting for any items I could pass off in my day-to-day wear or vintage outfits inspired by Ke$ha in the height of her 2010 fame.
I still have some of the items I purchased years ago, permanently added to my wardrobe and there to bring up recurring memories of how happy I was when I found them. My all time favourite thrift was a little 70's teardrop style bag, decorated with genuine leather, reed weaving and an all too relative orange and mustard floral lining.
Ever since I've always made time to explore the op-shops available in my area, being the current uni holidays, I ventured out to scavenge the shelves and find myself some hidden Adelaide gems. So in no order, here are:
My Top 4 Local Op-Shops
1. Aggie's Op Shop
St Augustine's Anglican Church Unley, 183 Unley Road, Unley
Aggies, based in the St AA Church in Unley has a beautiful Victorian era exterior and features multiple water fountains upon entrance. It feels like the place is run by your Grandma, and has a huge selection of coats and jackets. Hello Winter.
2. Rotary Club of Unley
130 Unley Road, Unley
Just down the road is the Rotary Club. Opposite A Mother's Milk and a shop or two down from Pickle in the Middle, it has a seriously good selection. This smaller shop has some quite distinct labels and higher end products available, not one to miss off you list!
3. Salvos Kings Park
307 Goodwood Road, Kings Park
The Salvos are a staple for any new and emerging thrifters. There's not much else to say but they have a great system and range. Going in there today, I felt like a kid in a candy shop, having to fight myself over which items I actually needed in my wardrobe (A true born and raised impulse buyer here). Once I skipped my initial glazed over appearance, I had an armful of stock within the first five minutes, but the true diamond in this store is their backroom. Literally filled with every glass ornament that has ever decorated a home, and a secret stash of furniture begging to be up-cycled for your next project, or just because the chair there looks similar to the rest of the unfinished set, sitting in the dining room of your first share-house. The Salvation Army stores also offer a great weekly mix of discounts, with Students grabbing a 20% discount when showing your Student ID on Wednesdays.
4. Vinnies Hawthorn
21 Abbotshall Road, Hawthorn
Say Hello to my all-time favourite Op-Shop. If there could be a hidden gem full of hidden gems, this is it. The place I've found my all time favourite thrifts, and the store which fuelled my obsession with op-shopping. The only thing about this shop I curse, is the amount of items I have to put back because they didn't fit. RIP the Red Boots and loungey denim wash jeans from today.
I ventured out today in a few of my day-to-day staples. Enjoy my first Outfit of the Day post, and seemingly deathless expression. Taken outside of St Aggie's and enjoying the first fall from Autumn.
OOTD details:
Kitti Sunglasses by Quay Australia
I See You T-shirt by The Fifth Label
High Licks by Lee Jeans
Toffee by Lipstick Shoes
Drumroll please, the moment we've been waiting for and I'm finally ready to show you guys my thrifts from today. I am so happy with what I got, and it really showed me that I never know what I'm going to find when I spend the day op-shopping.
Sass and Bide Denim Jeans - $6 Vinnies Hawthorn
Black Patent Skinny Pumps - $19.25 Salvos Kings Park
(Not Pictured) Denim Blue Jeans - $7.25 Salvos Kings Park
Including my Student Discount from the Salvos, today's purchases came to a total of $29.85, it's hard not to be ecstatic when I've added a few well-needed items to my winter wardrobe, by expanding my all too small jean collection and grabbing a pair of unused pumps to match with my daily worn denim.
Happy Op-Shopping my fellow thrifters!