By Lauren Zazzara
Staff Writer
Last Wednesday, my friend and I visited the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store on N. Union Street (near the Olean Mall). The purpose of our venture was to pick out my Halloween costume. But as soon as I walked in, that purpose was thrown to the back of my mind. This store is three floors of thrifting heaven, and I was thrilled at the prospect of finding hidden gems among the racks.
The first floor was filled with odds and ends, such as games, jewelry, shoes, children’s clothes and an Easy Bake Oven (which we considered, but I don’t believe the food mixes for those are sold in stores). There was a basement as well, but we were crunched for time, so I am saving that floor for another adventure.
I spent the most time on the top floor, which was packed with clothing. On the left hand side was a rack of flamboyant Christmas sweaters; if you have an ugly sweater party coming up in the next few months, consider hitting up the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift store. Near these was a rack of men’s T-shirts which I scoured for a cool band tee (I didn’t have much success here, though). The rest of this side was filled with cozy sweaters, blazers and tons of coats, jackets and vests. I found a men’s flannel that wasn’t too big, which I was quite excited about because at modern stores women’s flannels tend to be flimsy or too fitted for my taste.
On the right side were racks of blouses. I love blouses with folksy patterns or embellishments on them, but I never quite find ones with the quaintness I am looking for at the mall. But this store was full of unique blouses and shirts with embroidery. There were beautiful dresses towards the far right side, so if you are looking for something to wear to Junior Prom this year with a limited budget, try this thrift store. It’s easy to make adjustments if the dress needs some altering. You can easily cut out shoulder pads as well.
I was most impressed with the belts section. Usually in the Salvation Army or Goodwill there is a small rack of belts and I normally can’t find anything. But the St. Vincent de Paul had a wall and multiple racks loaded with belts in a variety of colors and materials. Many of them had a western vibe with silver detailing that I really liked.
I recommend you visit this store sometime soon, especially if you are looking for something unique. You are bound to find something with three floors to scour through. In the winter, it’s hard to keep our wardrobes unique and interesting when we are bundled in layers of sweaters and coats, but thrifting is a great way to make sure no one is wearing the same thing as you.
