Loppis hopping in Jacob City

19/08/2019
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Ok, so the name of the place is actually Pietarsaari or Jakobstad but I'm hoping that Jacob City will catch on soon. For non swedish speakers loppis means flea market. I visited this lovely town during some really hot days this past summer. It's a town that has an unusual amount of second hand, vintage and antique stores considering its size. My friend and I tried to figure out the reason for this abundance but came to no clear conclusion. What I really liked was the wide selection of stores, there's everything from your average second hand stores to the more curated antiques stores. My absolute favourite was the Lundagård store (image with floral wallpaper and velvet couch). The interior is so charming and cozy. I almost wished it was a café, so I could sit down and flip though some old magazines. Have you visited Pietarsaari? What were your favourite second hand/ vintage/antique store there?

The skirt of the season

05/08/2019
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I'm really committing to sharing my second hand finds, so here comes another one. I got this skirt on a random day in April and it's probably been my most worn skirt this summer. I have thing for A-line skirts and floral prints but this skirt also has proper pockets, so my purchasing decision was very quick.The top is also a second hand find from maybe two years ago and it's also been in heavy rotation this summer. This green is one of those in your face colours that I might have avoided in the past but then that green coat happened and now I'm thinking about getting a pair of shoes in this colour as well.

Tangerine Cloud – a second hand find

24/07/2019
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I recently had to get a pair of shoes for friend's wedding and reluctantly ordered a pair from a fast fashion retailer. None of my friends have the same shoe size and all the shoes I saw at the second hand stores were three sizes too small for me. That's how I justified the purchase to myself. I measured my feet to make sure I got the right size and made sure to get a pair I can use a lot in the future. What of course happened was that the size chart couldn't really be trusted and I finally realised that as much as I would like to be the kind of person that wears 8 cm high heels, I can't walk in them! So I now have a pair of ok shoes but it required trying on four pairs and sending them back before I had a pair that fit. My goodness, all that shipping! So, I think am done with fast fashion. Even when it comes to shoes and underwear, which are basically the only things I've bought from fast fashion companies in the past few years. I know some people argue that boycotting it is not…

The quest for silk

11/05/2016
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I love finding treasures at second hand and vintage shops. Lately I've even found garments even though some of the best finds I've found while looking for something completely different. I've also stumbled upon a garment that I didn't know I needed until recently, the silk knit top. I found one not long ago that I've used a lot and now I'm always on the lookout for them. Why do I love this 90's business woman wardrobe staple you might wonder? They're so comfortable and you can wear them all year round. You also get all the benefits of silk but don't have to worry about ironing as much, compared to let's say a blouse from woven silk. My silk knit top count is now up to four. I almost didn't buy the most recent one. The fit was perfect but it was in this beige colour I felt wouldn't work on me. So I decided to dye it purple! The starting point, a very soft but very beige silk knit top. At first I thought I'd try to get an even purple colour but in the end I went with tie dye. I just love the randomness and the patterns you can get…

Beige Suede

16/09/2015
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I found this cute bag at a second hand shop a while back in Vaasa. I immediately liked the size, materials and the details but me and beige? I have not been a big fan of the colour since that beige and navy phase I had ca 1999. The length of the strap also bothered me, I'm very picky about that sort of thing, occupational hazard i guess.In the end I asked myself the fundamental question, as pretty as this bag is, will I actually use it? The answer was yes, if I shorten the straps to handles and use the bag more as briefcase. This was quit easy as the straps were removable. Straps attached with buckles are quit brilliant thing!

Antiques Fantastique

08/09/2015
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I'm very proud of myself I have to admit. I've managed to do something that's been on my summer to-do list for years now, to visit antique and vintage markets outside Helsinki. Luckily for me I have friend who was willing not not only to join me but also give me a ride! Billnäs was our first stop before heading to Fiskars and boy was I pleasantly surprised! There was such wide selection of products and this was just outside the main event. As lover of glass in all forms and colours this event was really a feast for the eye. I saw a lot of beautiful things I wanted to own but when I really thought about it I didn't really need or have space for any of it. The only thing I wished I'd been able to buy was the antique rings I found at one stand. I have no picture of them 'cause I was too busy drooling over them that I forgot I had my camera with me Though I came home empty handed I hope to make a visit to these markets a yearly tradition. There are so many interesting products and I really get inspired. It's like going…

In florals we trust

22/07/2015
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Ever since I bought THAT red coat last year, I've been re-examining which coat shapes work for me and dared to try on silhouettes that I before might have considered to be too oversized for my body shape. When I was in Vaasa over midsummer I was doing my usual second hand round when I stumbled on this floral print. I loved the print straight away and wanted to buy the garment but I couldn't figure out if it was a coat or a dress so I ended up deciding that it was probably some grandmother's pyjamas from perhaps the 70's. I hesitated for a moment to try it on since it was size XL which meant there was a lot of fabric and the scale of the print magnified that. But you know me, I'm a sucker for prints (especially florals) so I had to buy it. I figured I'd change and decrease the amount of buttons, add a belt and wear this floral tent as a coat. I can honestly say that this is one of the best purchases this year! Though it's oversize it's well proportioned and the big pockets (that you can barely see because of the…

Lucky finds

04/06/2015
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A few weeks ago I hit the jackpot at a local second hand store and actually went home with a few garments. It's very rare that I find several pieces at the same place at the same time! I was a bit surprised to find this barely used Nanso t-shirt . Nanso is one of few companies that still manufacture some of their products in Finland. These mom jeans will be cut into shorts, possibly dyed and printed as well. We'll see. . . I only wear skirts during the summer and the last time I bought one was probably in the late 90's (yes I'm that old!) But I love florals and the colours of the print intrigued me so much I had to at least try it on. It fit perfectly so I bought it. Even though I've lived in Helsinki for almost 5 years I still feel I haven't found the best second hand and vintage stores in the city. I know they exist, I just haven't discovered them yet. So, if you guys have any tips, let me know!