ThriftDog: Minneapolis and St. Paul Thrift, Vintage and Consignment Shop Reviews: November 2014

And boy, have I been taking advantage of the deals this season! You gotta get out there, Thriftdoggers. That's all I'm sayin'. Especially if you are seeking the fall 2014 uniform all of your coworkers are wearing - skinny pants, long sweaters, tunics, leather or jean jackets with shirts peeking out underneath, denim shirts, boots or flats, big scarves and large, preferably leather or tried and true Coach/ Dooney/ Longchamp totes to pull the look together. I call it the waiting-for-the-Light Rail-but-everyone-knows-you-own-a-nice-car look. Smart, polished, hipster, affluent. Yet the look is almost laughably easy to get on the cheap if you know where to buy.

Here's the thing about shopping in the Twin Cities and it's outlying areas: there is no reason, IMHO, to buy clothes for full price anywhere. I mean, why would you? Have you been to a Clothes Mentor lately? Or to the Salvation Army Thrift Store - Bloomington? You know what I've found in said places in the last few months that have convinced me not to pay full retail price anywhere this fall? Well, I'm going to tell you. No really, I insist.

Thriftdog's Fall Haul:

Salvation Army Thrift Store - Bloomington: I've reviewed this place before and I adore it. This fall alone I purchased a hip length, Gap all-leather coat for $14.99, a beautiful grey and black tweed Wet Seal tea-length coat bulky enough for layering for $11.99, a deep green/black Saudi-style scarf, which I've had comps on everywhere I've worn it, for $0.99, a beautifully soft, men's Chinese cashmere sweater, which I wear with leggings, the green scarf and boots, for $5.99 (five bucks for cashmere!!); a jean jacket for $4.99 and a red tartan, super wide belt with big silver studs all over it (punky but not dangerous), which I can wear with a simple black dress, the jean jacket and boots.Oh, and a like-new pair of fab grey and turquoise Converse sneaks for $5.99.

ALERT: If you are looking for leather and suede jackets of all lengths and puffer vests - before you shop at the mall, come here first.

Clothes Mentor, Eden Prairie: A black Coach Bag for $45.00. Ok, it's a Coach Factory bag, but it' s beautiful, roomy, beautifully lined, perfect condition and 45 bucks!

Plus a Dooney "Tiny East West" black pebble leather handbag - perfect for a night out, mint condition - thirty bucks! For a leather Dooney!!

(P.S. - As of this writing, there is a pumpkin orange Longchamp tote on sale over there for seventy bucks. Almost bought it, but I didn't, so if you want one...)

Clothes Mentor, Roseville: Another Dooney bag, this one brand new with the tags on and registration card still in the pocket - a huge tiger striped tote for $125.00 (discounted about 50 bucks off the store price). A gorgeous, deep chocolate brown, shearling lined Calvin Klein down coat for $45.00. A gold, shiny Jennifer Lopez military-syle slouchy sweater for $14.99 (some of her clothes are amazing), a couple pairs of designer jeans in the 14.00-16.00 range and a couple of thick, higher end sweaters in that price range as well.

Needless to say, right now the Clothes Mentors in town are my new best friends. I've found great stuff at the stores above, plus the ones in Edina and Woodbury. They specialize in designer and higher end label women's fashions for a bit heftier price point than the Goodwill-type stores, but still very reasonable given the merchandise. While they are all individually owned and franchised, I have yet to find a one so far, in my grand sweep of the Twin Cities, that has disappointed me. I have seen labels there, in addition to the ones I purchased, from Rag and Bone to Banana Republic to North Face to Ann Taylor Loft. Designer bags of all types. They even get a few Louis Vuitton's drifting through on special days.

So really, if you need your own Hipster Fall Haul, my recommendation is this: Start at a great uber-cheap place like Salvation Army Thrift Store - Bloomington for the fun basics and a few treats, then head over to a Clothes Mentor or two or three for the stuff you want but would rather walk over nails than pay full price for. Then when you head off to work, not only will you look cool enough to stand next to the "right" people on the Light Rail, but you may even have saved enough to actually park your car downtown.

Clothes Mentor Roseville
2401 Fairview Ave N
Roseville, Minnesota 55113

651-789-2880