Come Thrift With Me! For Free!

I got the idea from Thrift Diva, a woman who operates "Thrift Crawls" by bus tour in San Diego, USA. But it turns out she's not the only offering this service - The Dress Fiend also offers bus tours of thrift shops in Sacramento, USA (both in California - so next time you're on vacation there....!).

While it's tempting for me to get paid to take others thrifting like these ladies do, I'm not even going to attempt it.

So I'm going to offer a FREE TOUR of Zürich's thrift shops, using the ZVV transport network, to you! :)

Now I know from my stats that my blog isn't getting a lot of hits. I'm hoping that will change! And when it does, and you stumble upon this page and think, "Oooh! A free thrifting tour in Zürich! I should totally take her up on that!", then PLEASE COMMENT BELOW and let me know that you are interested!

There are three 'genres' of thrifting tours that I can offer, off the top of my head. But please suggest a custom tour if another option springs to mind!

• FASHION TOUR: Hitting up stores with a focus on fashion and vintage clothing (a tentative hit-list might include several CARITAS locations, the Heilsarmee at Hardbrücke, a lesser-known store like Berta, Blenda or Famos, and perhaps Arche Brockenhaus or Brockiland)
• THE THRIFTED HOME: With a focus on non-fashion articles, I'd suggest CARITAS k&k, Arche, HIOB, TIGEL, and of course Brockiland. There could even be a Hardbrücke-centric tour, hitting up the various thrifted furniture shops (Bogen 33, Walter, etc.), the Heilsarmee, and even the CARITAS, where some of the display furniture is also for sale.
• OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: Come and find the lesser-known, smaller secondhand gems around the city (many of which I have yet to review!), with shops like Berta, Blenda, Fifties Plus, Famos, Fizzen, and small, privately-owned Brockenstuben in the city.

I could even do "neighbourhood"-themed tours (i.e. Seefeld, Dietikon, Werd, Hardbrücke, downtown, etc.). Or price-range tours - for the 'flat broke' and for the 'well-padded', we could hit up stores that are likely to appeal to your budget! Let me just say that most of my experience tends towards the 'bargain'-end of the spectrum. ;)

Looking for something in particular? I can't guarantee that I can help you find it, but I can recommend some likely locations, and I can go with you to provide a second set of eyes (experienced thrifting eyes, to be precise!).

What's Included?

• Tips, tricks and strategies prior to entering the store in question
• Some factual or background information on the various thrift shops
• Demonstrations on how to spot a quality item, danger signs in a potential purchase, a seasoned veteran's opinion on prices (comparative for other thrift shops in the city), examples of good 'staples' that should always be considered, amusing anecdotes and much more! 
• Good company and moral support while thrifting! And an extra set of arms to hold hangers, etc. ;)

Interested? Let me know! :) Might be a fun 'girl's day out' or an unusual birthday party idea.

The fine print, so far: I reserve the right to cancel, without notice and for any reason during and before any tour. I probably won't, but I would like an 'out' in case you as the interested party turn out to be a creepy stalker or an internet predator. ;) Or even if I should eat a dodgy kebap and get the runs - I don't want to have to be promoting Immodium for free all day. ;) I was thinking we could meet in a public place (i.e. a tram stop) and use public transit to get around during daylight hours, etc. Weekdays are a possibility, but Saturdays are also possible. We can go for a few hours, or just a few stores, or we could do a proper 'thrift crawl' - let's discuss. I can't be held responsible for your safety or satisfaction or anything at all, really, but I'm happy to show you my hunting grounds, give you a few tips, and share my thrifting knowledge in general for your enjoyment. I'm also not paying for your purchases - that's on you! ;) Please feel free to bring a friend, maybe two, but lets keep the group to 4 or less for now. If it's a birthday party for a bigger group, then contact me - we can work something out!

Who knows - maybe my free tours will be so successful that people will start paying me to run them! ;) But I doubt it.

TiZ

Mending: Torn off Belt Loop

One of my "Thrifting Rules" is to not buy anything that 'needs work'. Time is money, and you don't want to be sinking time into fixing something unnecessarily.

But every so often, this 'rule' can be broken. Maybe it's the greatest thing you've ever seen and you can't let a small hole prevent you from owning it. Or maybe the 'fix' is a simple repair that you know you can easily and QUICKLY do, today, with things you already have at home. Note that if you have to buy something, i.e. a small paintbrush and ceramic paints, to 'fix' a problem piece of porcelain, for example, that there's a very good chance you're either never going to get around to it, or you'll lose your passion for the project and decide against the work after all, or you will eventually get around to it, but it'll have been more work than it's worth and you'll feel a bit bitter about it. 

I've done them all. ;)

Let's take a torn-out belt loop for example. IF you have a needle and thread, and preferably thread in a similar colour to the garment (though it's not strictly necessary), then you're set to do this quick repair at home in 5 to 10 minutes. It's a good one to do while watching TV, too.

View from the exterior

View from the interior. Start on the inside!

Thread your needle. I used about 1.5 arm's length of thread, which I doubled over and knotted. I had a little left over at the end, which is good (otherwise it becomes impossible to sew!).

On the INSIDE of the pants, put your needle tip through one side of the hole, close to the edge (but not so close that you'll pull out the weave and worsen the hole!). Put your needle in where the fabric is still intact, but as close to the edge of the hole as seems reasonable to you.

Push the needle through the fabric, crossing the 'gap'....

...and bring it through the otherside, about the same distance from the edge where the fabric looks 'normal' and sturdy. Pull the thread all the way through (gently) until the knot stops it.

Voila, you're on your way!

Next, do the same thing as before, but do it perpendicular to the first stitch (i.e. instead of east to west, now sew north to south). Gently pull the thread so that it's taut but not pulling so strongly that the fabric is puckering.

Now do the same on the diagonal (i.e. north-east to south-west), and then again perpendicular to that (i.e. north-west to south-east).

Do it a few more times, putting your stitch across the hole and between previous stitches.

Your fabric will pucker a little (a little is okay), but try to keep the puckering to a minimum as you can.

This is what the 'hole' now looks like on the outside!

Bring your needle up through the fabric (from the inside to the outside) towards the belt loop end.

I trimmed off the wispy bits of thread from the belt loop (not pictured). :)

This is the part to be a little picky/cautious about, because your stitches will SHOW on the outside from here on out. So make the stitches as short as you can, and at the edge of the belt loop where they will be harder to see.

If you look carefully, you can see a few 'lemon'-coloured stitches over the mustard fabric and thread at the right. I made maybe 5 or 6 stitches, attaching the belt loop end to the fabric. I tried to put my needle through the 'normal' fabric of the pants and not through my spiderweb of thread I just made, because it is more strong this way.

Here is one of the belt loops that was always attached. Note that it's prettier than mine, but there's not a giant glaring difference! So mend with confidence! :)

To finish up, I pass the needle back and forth through my 'spiderweb' mend (on the inside of the pants) to help anchor the thread.

Once I've woven it through 3 or 4 times, I make a knot. For me, the easiest way to do this is to make a loop with the thread that is going to feed through the stitch (so I don't pull the last stitch taut - I leave a 'loop' of it sticking out). Then I 'spiral' and wind my needle over the thread in the loop 3 or 4 times (see photo). Then I gently pull the needle through, as if I was pulling a normal stitch taut. The knot slowly forms, and I let it slide gradually off my fingers so it doesn't tangle as it tightens.

Pulling the thread and tightening the knot (keeping a finger in it to ensure smooth and gradual knotting in the right place!).

Still pulling slowly, but I slid out my finger. You can see the loop dropping towards the stitches as you gently pull.

Pull it taut now (firmly!) and voila! A knot!

The knot is a bit "sticky-outty", so I like to pass the needle through the stitches (just on the inside, not going through and into the fabric, but just under the stitches shallowly) like I did before I made the knot.

Weaving in the thread after knotting.

And then I snip off the thread ends - I cut off the thread I was sewing with, and I trim the ends of the starting knot that stick up.

The finished product! Can you see which is mended? Yep, the last loop on the right. It's not perfect, but I think you wouldn't really notice unless you were looking for it!

NOTE: If the hole is larger than this one, you might need to patch the pants (on the inside, of course) with a small but sturdy piece of fabric first, and then sew the belt loop back onto the patched pants. This is easy too, but you really must have a thread that matches the colour of the pants (because as you sew around the patch, the stitches will show on the outside of the pants). This is probably a BETTER WAY to mend a belt loop hole than what I've shown, but my way is faster and lazier. ;) And I didn't have mustard-coloured thread. If it rips out again, I'll have to properly patch it (reinforce it) on the inside before reattaching the belt loop.

So that's it! Now be gentle with your belt and your belt loop, because this spot will always be weaker than the rest (just like if you break a bone!). Wear your pants with pride and know that if you can fix this, you can mend just about anything. Most projects take a little more time and patience, and some a little practice, but if you can do this, you can do more complicated things too! Have faith in yourself!

But always remember - don't get in over your head. It's not fun to have to struggle against the odds doing tailoring you're just not equipped to deal with! And time is money! Remember that there are tailors out there, some of which are AMAZING and really cheap (I remember the wonderful woman who did my wedding dress alterations so professionally and beautifully and quickly for one EIGHTH of the price I was quoted elsewhere! Sigh - she was a gift from Heaven, that one!). 

You'll probably not find a cheap tailor in Zuerich, unless you check out the Migros community boards or happen to know someone through a friend of a friend. But these people are worth seeking out - they can really change the rules of the thrifting game! :)

My two cents (rappen) on the subject of mending:

1. If it's a 'quick' and 'easy' fix, and you have the necessary supplies AND the time and patience to try it yourself, DO IT!
2. If it's NOT a quick and easy fix, and it falls into the category of 'professional tailoring with a dressmaker's mannequin', then start scouring the community posts for a seamstress looking for work, and ask all your friends and colleagues if they know of a secret sewing diva that you can pay to make some alterations for you. Amongst the immigrant communities there are often very skilled people who aren't working (many of them wives) due to a language or work-visa impairment, and would be grateful for the work and probably a few franken here and there, too. There's nothing more boring than being an over-qualified hausfrau (ask me how I know!), and sometimes just getting to WORK, let alone earning money, is so welcome. So ask around - maybe someone's mom or aunt is a kick-ass tailor who could help you out. (And if so, and if she's really gifted, PAY HER WELL! She'll probably be happy to keep helping you in the future, and I'll bet she's still WAY less expensive than your other commercial options!). And then tell me about her - I'm looking for one, too! ;)
   

Where to look for the 'secret sewing divas' in your area? Here are a few online places to keep an eye out:

http://zurich.en.craigslist.ch/

http://www.englishforum.ch/search2.php?q=tailoring 
and
http://www.englishforum.ch/search2.php?sitesearch=englishforum.ch&cx=partner-pub-5347464857872075%3A9530137327&ie=UTF-8&sa=Search&q=seamstress&logic=and

A quote from an English Forum posting on mending (someone who takes their clothing 'home' to their country for mending as a result of this experience):

I took a pair of trousers to a dry cleaner here who also did these types of repairs to replace a broken zipper. They charged me 35 francs and the zipper was not really suitable for those particular trousers, and a couple of months later, the zipper pull broke off So much for quality...

So it's worth your while to DIY, or to seek out the help of someone who may have 'golden hands' and little work to do with them! :)

'Til next time!

TiZ

If I ever said anything bad about Brockiland, I take it back!

I came home from Brockiland yesterday after having spent 65 Fr. there... which is more than I intended, but I still feel it was a very good deal!

For 65 Fr., I got all of this, and...

All of this, too. (In total, a blanket, printed serving tray, digital kitchen timer, oven mitt, pie plate, pie server, grapefruit knife, spaghetti spoon, flipper, bread tin, beer 'stein' (mass), saucepan, bud vase, funnel, two white wine glasses, stoppered glass bottle, two plaid winter-weight scarves, a pillowcase, a foulard, sunglasses, a black velvet blazer, polka-dot suspenders, a navy velvet belt (cord-closure), mustard jeans, grape suede skirt, and a button-front grey skirt).

First of all, I should specify that I went back to middle-of-nowhere Brockiland FAHRWEID, and not the one in Werd. I like the downtown Brockiland, but I find that there is SO much competition for everything that it's a little... exhausting. If I have the time, I don't mind trekking out to the middle of nowhere to spend a few happy hours at a Brockiland that is less chaotic than the main one downtown.

There's still crazy and SUPER obnoxious people at the Fahrweid location, but there's fahr less of them (heh heh). There's the vultures that hover over and circle the poor, beleaguered restockers; the scoopers that try to 'scoop' you on whatever it is you're looking at (which still defies all logic for me!); and the pushers who try to takeover the area you're perusing by force.

But I also noticed the kindred spirits, the "oh, this is cute - it might fit you!" type (though they are few and far between, maybe fahr and weid, ha ha ha!).

Maybe I've been spending too much time in the kitchen lately, but I was so happy about this functionally superior flipper and this so-cute spaghetti scoop! One other thing that happened, which I thought was weird - I bought a saucepan (pot), and when I went back through the section, ALL of the pots and pans were GONE! Someone bought the entire shelf?! Maybe for refugee camps in Syria or something? Who would want 25 pots for themselves?! ALL of them were gone - not one remained! Even the grubby and the warped! Or were they moving them all to the downtown location?

I've also decided that the usual lady on the till (the black lady with the cigarette-rasp that most jazz singers would risk cancer for!), though she is sweet and eternally-patient, isn't the best cashier for the thriftiest person... my bills are always higher with her than they are with the other employee (who fills in over her lunch break, I think).

So that's a bit of a sneaky and underhanded tip - if you get the chance to check-out (pay) with the replacement lady, try it out. 

Still, I don't think the usual lady is ripping you off, though. She's really experienced, so her prices are 'brutally fair', whereas the substitute has more 'generous' prices (at least, so I've experienced so far. It could go the other way, too, I suppose). I bought a lot of clothing today, and the prices for clothes at Brockiland are comparatively high to the other items. I also bought a throw/blanket, which either cost 5 or 10 Fr. (and I'm guessing it was the latter). There are a few things at Brockiland that cannot be considered 'steals' so much as 'deals', and bedding is one of them.

I think the usual lady tends to charge the higher prices if in doubt (i.e. a small 'decke' is 5 Fr, and a large 'decke' is 10 Fr. So what do you charge for a medium one? I would tend to charge 5 Fr, because it's not as big as the 10 Fr ones, and I think the replacement lady calculates things similarly. But the usual cashier seems to round up to the higher price. Still a good deal, but not as good as it could be!). 

I needed a funnel (been making do with parchment paper, and that's getting old), we broke a wineglass while entertaining this week, I loved the vase, and the bottle/carafe was too perfect to pass up. A much nicer way to offer water to guests for sure! Heck, I might even lug it to work with me! So stylish!

I don't know what it was that day (a Wednesday), but it was packed with people (around noon or so), and it was brimming with desirable things - the shelves all seemed very full, and they have rearranged the shelves with the plates and glasses and various other kitchenware, table lamps, crafts and tools, etc.

It was full of vultures and scoopers and pushers, too (and they're almost always in that section!), but I didn't mind - there were so many good things, and lots of stuff I really, really liked but decided to pass up (with no regrets this morning - excellent!).

I don't have a pie plate, which I discovered after converting overripe cherries given to me by a colleague into cherry pie filling... whoops. So the pie plate was a 'requirement'. The pearlescent-handled pie server wasn't needed, as such, but it was too cute to pass up! And the bone/antler handled PROPER grapefruit knife had been on my 'to thrift' list for so long that I almost went in search of a new one at quadruple the price. ;) And it wouldn't have been as lovely as this one, I'm sure! I love the oven mitt, too. It isn't that well insulated (which I discovered this morning!), but it's great for serving with!

I made two trips through the gauntlet (the shelved area I mentioned - "the zoo" would be another good term for it!), because the vultures and scoopers were too much (restocking was underway). I thought a second trip through after the restocker had finished and the crowd dispersed would be a good move. If I "missed" something because someone else got there first, FINE. My sanity is worth more than that. ;)

It was a good move. :) And bizarrely, very soon after the restocker had left, the whole section was practically deserted and full of new things, a few of which I nabbed. The orange-printed bottle was one example. I don't understand it, but I was happy to profit from the richly-laden shelves and relative peace and calm! :)

For 'mein Mann', who has always wanted one. They run between 45 and 60 Euros for this size (I know - because we've almost bought one on many occasions!). Guess how much this was?! 5 FRANKS!!! FIVE! 41 Euros is 50 CHF, so that's less than a TENTH of the price!!!

I did the same thing with the clothing. There were two ladies shopping together (40s, or so) who were scouring the place in a mad whirlwind. When I saw them head upstairs towards the clothing section, I decided to look through the bookshelves and bide my time. I saw them make off with a few things (a leopard print skirt was one of them), and I figured whatever wasn't there when I got there would be made up for by the space and leisure with which I could go digging.

I also was very methodical this time. While searching through the tea towels and placemats, I was tempted to leap right into the clothing section. But I decided to finish the tablecloth, blanket and handkerchief shelves first, before starting at one end of the clothing and working my way along, rack by rack.

It's not easy to shoot black velvet on a white background, but you get the picture!

I really think it paid off this time. A velvet blazer (which I honestly wouldn't have considered, were it not for reading ahead for fall fashion 2014!) which was just awesome (I must have tried on 10 blazers in total, maybe 12). In one of the blazers, a green velvety number that had had the buttons removed by some other refashionista, no doubt, there were a pair of fun little sunglasses in the pocket. I didn't buy the blazer (too big in the arms and shoulders), but I did snatch up the sunnies. ;)

My phone is terrible with colours - always skewed in one way or another. Ah well. The skirt is less purple and the mustard pants more mustard and less lemon. ;)

I also got a suede skirt in a purple colour that I don't hate (not a big fan of purple clothing...!), and some mustard jeans that I know are 'so last year', but I didn't have any last year and I really wanted a pair. I have a confession to make - I took off my pants in the Brockiland to try on the jeans. I didn't even make that much of an effort to hide, either. My tank top was long enough to cover most of the area of concern, and the clothes section was nearly devoid of people... yeah, if only I had worn a skirt or tights, I wouldn't have had this problem (I'm not following my own thrifting rules!). The mustard jeans also had a hole from a torn-out belt loop, still attached at the top. I plan to mend them. Again, not following my own rules, this time about damaged goods. But this minor repair was worth it in my eyes.

I didn't strictly need polka-dot suspenders. but I really, really like them! :D

I bought the skirts by trying them on over my pants, and unfortunately the one with the buttons is too big. I thought about altering it (and I might still), but then I realised it has belt loops and maybe I can cinch it up without it getting too bulky. We'll see!

Two things I left behind were a chambray top (H&M) that I loved but was size 14, and was just too large to pull off no matter how I tied it and rolled up the sleeves. It got snatched up by a fellow thrifter (a friendly, kindred thrifter!) immediately after I rehung it, so that was a happy end.

The large one is going to be worn poncho-esque, a la (several designers) for Fall 2014. And the skinnier one is going to be draped over a t-shirt and jeans in the fall, once I remove a few unwanted pills of fabric. ;)

The other was another great grey blazer, a perfect length (better than the one I own!), but just 1 size too small for me. I could have moved the button, but the armpits were restrictive.... it still had a dry-cleaning tag on it. It's gorgeous - I know someone else is going to be thrilled to find it. Pity for me, though! :)

One other thing - I picked up 4 pieces of clothing that had been left on the ground, and 2 of them (maybe 3!) were actually pretty nice, and I tried on one. Thrifting karma is important! Besides - if it's fallen off the rack, it was probably recently moved, which could mean that it was worth investigating. So always rehang things you find on the floor (at least drape them over the rack at the very least if you can't be bothered to find an empty hanger!).

I quickly updated my stats, and now my wardrobe is 39.3% thrifted overall. ;)

 

Know what colour suits you - I can rock anything teal for some reason. And while this isn't my favourite pattern (pheasants?!), when I tie this around my neck like a bandana, my whole complexion just lights up! At 2 Fr., this is a really good accessory that I can use in a gazillion ways - in my hair, around my neck, tied to my cream-coloured purse's straps, possibly as a belt (though that might be stretching it!), etc. I think the 'game birds' theme will work well into fall and winter. I can't wait to wear this over a plain black tank and jeans (I'm such a minimalist, eh?). :) Find your colour and blow 2 Fr. - it's a great investment!

Here are the thrifting rules I kept today that noticeably paid off for me:

• I looked UP when I had a moment, and discovered a plethora of 'riding boots' above the linens (near the stairs on the upper level). I'm actually in the market for a good pair of boots, and I wasn't aware that they were stored here, so far away from the other boots and shoes.
• I went methodically through every section (well, most sections - I skipped some areas yesterday, like big furniture and the other upstairs part), and because of this I found the perfect throw blanket to compliment our sofa, an oven mitt that was too cute to pass up, and I even found one of those doggie tennis-ball throwers misfiled in the spatula section (which I definitely would have wanted if I had a dog!)
• I shopped completely out of season - I bought fall and winter-weight scarves, a warm black velvet blazer and an autumnal suede skirt. I think I had luck with these because it was a very sunny and warm day and most people were looking at summery things. There was lots of Christmassy tablecloths and tea towels that I considered, too (I didn't fall in love, so I let them be).     
  
  
• I checked the pockets of something I tried on. Yes, there's a risk of finding a dirty kleenex, so maybe have a look before you reach in! But I found sunglasses, and cute ones, too! Which I needed, because my go-to pair has a crack right in the middle of my field of vision. >:p
• I tried a lot of things on. This isn't one of my previously stated 'rules', but if you really get to work trying things on (which does take effort), you can end up with 'the perfect fit' from something you might have figured was too small or too big (I thought the jeans were too big from the label, then way too small when I stretched them across my hips... and then I thought, screw it, I'm taking off my pants and trying them on properly! And they FIT! Even slightly big, weirdly enough!!!).
• I dug deep and it paid off. I've been waiting to find a proper grapefruit knife ever since we moved here. I've found maybe 4 in total, but 3 of them were the wrong shape or just a little too, I don't know, grubby by design and wear. But yesterday, I found a real beauty, made in England with the correct curvature and serration and everything. I dug in that same bin twice, looking for one. I'm glad I persevered and gave it another good dig - it was hiding!

Not following a thrifting rule ("Wear the Thrifting Uniform!"), I ended up with a much-too-big skirt that will need some careful and skilled tailoring (uh-oh!) or some clever covering-up of the bunching caused by cinching with a belt. :S

Here are the thrifting rules I broke today:

• I didn't wear the appropriate 'thrifting uniform' (tights or a skirt, and a slim-fitting minimalistic top), and as a result I had to take off my pants in the Brockiland, wearing only a thong on the bottom. Yikes.
• I didn't look through the entire store. I skipped areas. No regrets, but importantly what I didn't do was dip in and out of sections that I did investigate - I was very thorough and it certainly paid off.
• I didn't bring water or a snack with me. I'm trying to diet, so a snack wasn't necessary. But I was terribly dehydrated, and I should have brought water along. I went to check out the Brockiland cafe area with it's Coke cooler and instant coffee machine. A Coke cost 2.50 Fr. there! Typical of Brockiland, eh? So I walked to the Shell station at the roundabout and bought an iced tea there instead (only saved 40 Rappen, but I felt better about patronizing the gas station than the greedy Brockiland corporation!). ;)

It took me many shots to get my phone to capture the right colour. :p

Next on "Thrifting in Zürich" - How to mend a torn-out belt loop! ;)

All the best in your summer thrifting adventures, thrifty hearts! Consider a trip out to the Fahrweid Brockiland next time - I think you'll find it a refreshing change of pace from the main branch!


TiZ :)