op shopping in NYC

I arrived in NYC yesterday after spending seven weeks couchsurfing in South America. For those 7 weeks I have been rotating three shirts, a pair of linen trousers, a pair of black shorts and a long brown cordoury skirt (two shirts, trousers and skirst all from op shops, the trousers a spectacular find: I almost never wear pants but these were perfect for travelling - low-waisted to suit my high-waisted body, flattering, cool and comfortable).

All I wanted to do upon arrival was to op shop so I could finally wear some different clothes! I began in Queens at the Salvation Army where everything was basically very plain and organised according to colour. I found nothing that fit. So Mom and I bought $1 hardcover books instead: one of Rick Moody novellas, a book of recent literary criticism and a book of famous authors writing about their favourite books.

Then we went into Manhattan and looked around 23rd St and Lexington. I found a non-charity vintage clothing store with really nice stuff and bought two shirts, one a light cotton '70s style flared shirt with big bold patterns and colours and another light pink one, with a ribbon that ties under the boobs and a blue and red flower pattern with big flowers around the waist. I think these were around $15.

These were great, but not what I needed for mix and matching a tiny wardrobe. My mother and I found another Salvation Army and I found a pink straight pure silk Laura Ashley long skirt for $4 and a really cool wrinkled silk Navy blue skirt with bottom frill that has a huge waist which you bunch together in the back by pulling the string on either side and tying. After doing laundry I found some light spot stains on the pink skirt, but nothing very noticable. And the skirts each match one of the shirts and work with the clothes I already had as well. So, great finds, and to top it off I bought a white belt for my cord skirt that is now falling down because I lost so much weight travelling!