Mini Thrift Haul: AuH2O + Buffalo Exchange (NYC)
Happy Thursday!
It's a rainy day here in New York City, so it's the perfect time to cuddle up with a book, binge-watch your favorite Netflix series, or write a blog post. I'm currently enjoying my summer vacation – in other words, I have no responsibilities – so I did just that! Initially, I was going to film a short video of what I bought during my thrifting trip for The YouTube, but since I'm not a YouTuber and I didn't want to put on makeup and real clothes to film (it's that kind of day), I've decided to do it the ol' fashion way and write a blog post instead. Nevertheless, I might film a try-on video in the future – when I have more energy. Without further ado, let's get right into it!
AuH2O
84 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Price Point: $ (Inexpensive)
AuH2O is a curated thrift and vintage boutique in the East Village area of Manhattan, New York. The name stands for Gold (Au) + Water (H2O) representative of the owner of the shop's last name, Goldwater. Clever, huh? Most of the items in the shop run for under $25, so that's why I labeled the price point as inexpensive. $25? Come on, how many items in your closet can you say, with confidence, that you bought for under $25? Probably not many. The shop is fairly small, with only three racks in the entire store, but the items are gorgeous, in-style, of good quality, and cheap! (Some good things come in small packages *wink, wink*). My only complaint about the store was that most of the clothing items ran in small sizes, so there were little to no options for my plus-sized ladies. I'm a size 8-12 in most clothing items and even I had some trouble finding things that fit, which may have been the reason I left the store with only one item. Nevertheless, with a price point like that – and a whole rack with items under $10 – I can't complain much.
What I Bought:
Printed Button-Down Shirt (The Monkey's Designs)
I got this funky button-down by the brand The Monkey's Design for only $12 and I absolutely LOVE it! Because it is oversized, I would style this button-down over a white tee or a solid-colored crop top as a cover-up during the summer.
Buffalo Exchange
332 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003
Price Point: $$ (Moderately Expensive)
How do I explain Buffalo Exchange? Buffalo Exchange is like thrift shop heaven! Their items may be a bit pricey for second-hand clothing – most items ranging from $10 to $30 – but their items are all of incredible quality and in trend. You can tell how carefully curated the shop is; the time the employees take to buy only the most best quality of clothing does not go unnoticed. Like seriously, 99% of the items I bought from the shop still had the tag on them! Like, what?!! I can't praise Buffalo Exchange enough. Their items were almost all name brand and high-street clothing – they had everything from H&M and Zara to Miss Guided and Nasty Gal – and they had sizes for everyone; yes, even my plus-sized gals! (I found jeans that fit! I never find jeans that fit and that I like even when I shopped in fast-fashion shops, let alone a thrift shop!) Buffalo Exchange is definitely on my list of favorite thrift shops in NYC. Even if I spent over $20 on some items, it was worth it. I will be shopping there again! Also, did I mention that Buffalo Exchange prides itself on giving back to the community and protecting the environment by making charitable contributions? Talk about Corporate Social Responsibility! Buffalo, are you hiring because I am currently unemployed and all of your employees are soooo nice and I like what you're doing!
What I Bought:
Black & White Striped Pinafore (Very J)
I got this trendy and chic black & white striped pinafore, and also learned a new word – pinafore! A pinafore is "a collarless sleeveless dress, tied or buttoned in the back and typically worn as a jumper, over a blouse or sweater," according to Google Dictionary. Who knew?! This pinafore is from the brand Very J and it only cost me $22.50; it's brand new too – tag and all! I am hoping to style this over a plain white tee and rock it to the office at my new "trendy" summer internship!
Floral Faux Wrap Dress (Sadie and Sage)
Not going to lie, I was a bit hesitant about trying on this dress because of the funky picnic pattern but I was like, "What the heck?!!". I'm glad I did pick up this dress because I absolutely LOVE it! Hands down it is my favorite purchase from the entire trip. This dress is from the brand Sadie & Sage (a local brand I believe, and by local I mean their clothes are “Made in the USA”) and it only cost me $26.50. Again, it was brand new with the tag and all! This is the perfect casual dress for summer BBQs and brunch with friends. I can't wait to rock it around the city this summer!
Cactus Print Drop Waist Blouse (I Joah)
This is a gorgeous drop waist, short-sleeve blouse from I Joah, or I (heart) Joah, and it is soooo cute! I love the pale pink mixed with the polka dot and cacti. I definitely see myself wearing this shirt frequently to the office this summer. This blouse only cost me $16.50. Great price for a GREAT quality shirt!
Frilly Blue Denim Shorts (Zara)
I found these shorts on a whim during the end of my trip at Buffalo Exchange. I decided I was done searching around the store (No one ever tells you this, but thrift shopping is a CHORE and requires a lot of patience! Bless the souls of those who thrift shop frequently, I would only thrift shop – or shop in general – on a good day), but before I clocked out I decided to check out the shorts section very quickly. I'm glad I did because I spotted these almost immediately and I immediately fell in love with them! I tried these on in the changing room and it was like love at first sight. I am definitely going to be rockin' these all summer long. These shorts are from Zara and were originally priced at $39.90 (I know because these still had the tag on them!), but I got them for $21!
A very successful shopping trip if I do say so myself!
Xo, Naydeline