Thrift store delights

I first discovered the thrift shops on West 17th Street on my way to a Barney's sample sale. One, Angel Street Thrift Shop, caught my eye, and I entered more curious than expecting to find anything. In my mind, the dusty smell of a vintage store could never compare to the clean scent of expensive leather handbags. I had no idea what a consignment shop could possibly offer me, a shopping elitist who would have turned her nose up at last season's boots.

As it turns out, quite a lot. I credit those shops with revolutionizing my definition of well-dressed. As I flipped through the unfamiliar racks of clothes organized by color, I began to appreciate that, while it's easy to throw on a pret-a-porter Diane von Furstenberg dress and look fabulous, it takes a true fashion savant to take an old, red-velvet jacket more fit for a performing monkey and turn it into a unique piece of newly discovered couture. It's a talent that most celebrities on the fashion world's "Best Dressed" lists don't have.

Discovering those shops played an important role in the evolution of my current fashion sensibilities. On my most recent visit to New York, I returned to Angel Street, hoping to find a good bargain on some exciting item I didn't know I needed. As expected, I found it: a turn-of-the-century cream wool coat for $60, marked down from $80. Despite the inevitable wear, its flattering shape and Victorian romanticism captured me. Practicality aside, I couldn't bear to leave a treasure like this for some other greedy huntress.

A word of warning: Not everything in the 17th Street stores will prove so affordable, though it will be cheaper than retail. A beautiful, midnight-blue velvet jacket I admired at Housing Works cost $900, while a Converse by John Varvatos sheepskin coat was $1,250. As with any treasure hunt, however, the risk adds to the fun. Vintage shopping may have no guarantees, but the thrill of finding a phenomenal deal is always worth the digging.

Happy with my success after this most recent trip, I took a stroll down 5th Avenue, noting how my purchases stood out from the sea of Anthropologie bags around me. While shopping in company stores may sometimes seem more convenient, it can never match the excitement or amazing bargains of vintage shopping.

The next time you find yourself in the city, consider trading in the cookie-cutter Nine West experience for the exciting hunt of Chelsea's thrift stores. You might just have the most successful shopping trip of your life ... and nothing beats the satisfaction of answering a compliment with the two little words, "It's vintage."