Since I was a little girl, fashion has always been one of my biggest passions. I still dream that one day I will have a closet overfilled with designer clothes, bags and shoes. I will walk the streets of my city with the same sense of style and confidence as Carrie Bradshaw from the Carrie Diaries. Growing older and facing the sad reality that I have to live on a budget made my dreams of becoming a fashion icon pretty much impossible. Thankfully I found a smart solution to my problem. You are probably wondering how come can one wear fashionable and trendy clothing pieces and still not break the bank. Well, here is the secret – thrift shops. Yes, exactly. The second hand shop, from where most of your grandma’s clothes are from. I know it may sound odd, but most of my most worn and favorite clothing items are thrifted from local second-hand shops. Of course that not every single thrift shop in Sofia hides a gem inside and it really takes time and patience to find a good one. Here is where I come and save you time and worries. In this blog post I am going to share my favorite second-hand places.
1.Frea – I am starting off with probably my most adored second-hand shop – Frea. Sadly they still don’t have a permanent store in Sofia, but you can find their pop up shop every so on. But don’t worry even if you hadn’t had the time or opportunity to check out their amazing selection of clothes in the pop up shop, they have 4 other major stores in Plovdiv and a web-site, where you can find high-fashion foreign brands for normal pricing.
2.Modeteka – Next up on my list is Modeteka, which is a bit more on the pricier side since most of the clothing are from high end brands. This is the place I go to when I invest in something more expensive, but I am still not willing to spend a fortune. The shop is also situated on one of the central streets in Sofia, so it is fairly easy to find. Another great thing about Modeteka is that every first 3 days of the month you can bring your own clothes and carefully pick with the friendly staff, which ones could go for sale in the shop. If the clothing gets sold you get 50% of the profit but if it doesn’t they return in to you.
Adress: Petar Parchevich 62
3.Mania – If you are Bulgarian, you have definitely heard the catchy theme song of Mania shop, which was all over the radio a few years ago. The reason why I’m adding it to my list is just because, it has several stores all around Sofia and Bulgaria. As well as two sections, which consist of cheap and expensive. The Mania shop I visit most of the time is located in Hali market right next to “Serdika 2” Metro station. Even though the shop is big, the clothing items are displayed very nicely and you can easily find what you are looking for. I normally go to this thrift shop when I am searching for something more casual or a basic item, which I will redesign and personalize afterwards.
4.The second-hand shops around the Women’s market – they may be a bit of a wild card, but definitely should be visited. Sofia is a city fulfilled with small thrift shops, especially in this neighborhood. Be aware that not every time you go in one of those shops you will find a real treasure or something very special, but the prices are cheap. If you go with a friend it could also turn in a fun activity.
*my favorite are: Zig Zag(Knyaz Boris 1 165-A);
Mupet Mag(Pozitano street);
Shik Shik(Iskar street, 100m from Rainbow Factory)
5. Events and garage sales – To be honest most of my clothes I prefer to get at special second-hand festivals or pop up shops. The reason why I enjoy it so much is because most of the times you buy them directly from the owner himself and you have the chance to actually talk to them. Also at most of those events you can buy sweet treats, which is always a win win. During the last few years Sofia has grown drastically culturally and more and more young people organize innovative and fun events. My favorite events are organized by: Basic Market, Bitaka. You can visit their Facebook pages and learn when and where their next event will take place in.
A picture from Frea’s last pop up event – my favorite Bulgarian chef Bozhana Katzarova preparing amazing sweet treats
5. Remix and Shedd – Both of those shops are online and even have special phone apps. I honestly haven’t used any of them, but they were recommended to me from a few friends, so I had to mention them as well. The best thing about them is that you can sell your clothes, which you don’t wear anymore and earn some money in a easy way.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shedd/id915706402?mt=8
*My moms closet – Recently I have noticed that most of my clothes I get complimented on, have belonged to my mom. I know it may sound a bit too odd but I have always admired my mother’s fashion taste and especially her style during the 90s. You’ve probably noticed that many high end designer brands are influenced by the style trends during the 90s, 80s and 70s for their newest collection. That’s why I would recommend raving your mother’s or grandma’s closet, because you never know what kind of trendy item you might be missing. For example I recently found a vintage Versace sweater, which my mother hadn’t worn in years.
Versace sweater from my momWell, thats all from me now. I really hope that all you fashion babes find this blog post helpful and leave me a comment with your own favorite second-hand shops.
