Paris Thrift Haul: Winter Essentials
Hi friends,
After spending hours searching for the best and most affordable places to thrift clothes for the winer season, I’m finally ready to share with you my latest second-hand finds.
1. Pre-1990s Burberry Trenchcoat
Where: Marchand d’habits (Montmartre)
Price: 90Є
According to the Vintage Fashion Guild, the iconic Great British luxury brand, Burberry was originally founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856. Most commonly known as Burberry, the brand was originally called “Burberrys” which is why authentic vintage items will have a slightly different spelling on the garment tag. The brand specialized in outdoor wear and created the signature trench coat as a utilitarian garment for the British military.
As a longtime fan of the brand, I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered this vintage Burberry trench coat at a tiny thrift store called “Marchand d’habits”. Located at the foot of Montmartre, this small second-hand store had a treasure trove of coats, blazers, pants, and an assortment of accessories.
Based on the oversized fit of the shoulders, I’m fairly certain this is a men’s trench coat, but since the garment fits well everywhere else (and the price was fair), I decided to take it.
The store owner is friendly and kind but be sure to bring cash because all purchases are cash only.
2. Handmade Satin Skirt
Where: Emmaüs Alternatives Turbigo
Price: 7.50Є
Emmaüs is a second-hand chain similar to Goodwill where people donate their old items (clothes, furniture, even children’s toys) and the proceeds of sales go to charity. I first wandered into a Emmaüs with a couple of French friends and I thought the prices were significantly cheaper than other thrift stores that I had visited before. Like Goodwill, Emmaüs has a hodgepodge of brands, wide range of quality clothes, and with a little bit of luck, really amazing thrift finds.
I found this satin purple skirt with handmade seams and a slight tulip silhouette. It’s the perfect compliment to my thrifted IRO sweater and I love how the fabric shimmers in the light. Though this skirt certainly won’t keep me warm, it’s a lovely pop of color for the seasonal blues.
3. Velvet Maxi Skirt
Where: Emmaüs Défi - Magasin Riquet
Price: 6Є
Personally, velvet is not one of my favorite fabrics. I left my Juicy Couture days behind before my Freshman year of high school like many girls who were suddenly more into skinny jeans and boho accessories. Nevertheless, I found myself drawn to this elegant and simple velvet skirt because of its comfort and versatility. Recently many It-Girl brands like Sporty & Rich and Realisation Par have released velour wardrobe staples, so that’s certainly why velvet feels like its making a comeback.
4. Long-Sleeve Merlot Top
Where: Emmaüs Défi - Magasin Riquet
Price 5Є
As a SoCal native, long-sleeves are not in my regular rotation. With winter quickly arriving, I am trying to stock-up on an assortment of long-sleeve tops that I can easily layer.
5. Military Green Zara Coat
Where: Emmaüs Défi - Magasin Riquet
Price :18Є
A winter coat was of the highest importance on my checklist. Even though my parents are planning on sending me a package of winter clothes, it’s taking so much longer than expected to receive everything. To hold me over, I found a simple Zara coat in a classic deep military green color that I think can go with everything. It’s unlined but with a scarf and sweater, the coat is perfectly warm enough for hopping around the city.
6. Louis Vuitton Uniform Sweater
Where: Emmaüs Défi - Magasin Riquet
Price: 20Є
My latest second-hand crown jewel. I found this vintage Louis Vuitton employee uniform sweater shoved in the back of Emmaüs. Possibly a long forgotten treasure, I snagged this sweater at first sight. The care tag reads that the sweater is “Made in Italy” and 100% wool. The sweater is clearly shrunken, so I’ve tried to make a few attempts to relax the wool fibers. The most noteworthy element of the sweater is the reverse Louis Vuitton logo. When google searching this find, I learned that the reverse logo is one of the signature touches designed by the late Virgil Abloh. To this day, Louis Vuitton still currently features the reverse logo on some of its Menswear Collection.
If you got this far, I hope you enjoyed living vicariously through my latest winter thrift finds. Before discovering so many things at Emmaüs, I went to a bunch of other thrift stores including Kilo Shop, FREE'P'STAR, and a few other smaller boutiques. Emmaüs is by far the most affordable but you do have to sort through a lot of clothes before you might find a diamond in the rough.
I’d be happy to know what you think and if you have any thrift store suggestions in Paris, let me know in the comments section down below!
xx
Kiana