14 Nov Travel and Thrift: The Vintage Pieces I Found in Finland

When I travel anywhere, I tend to do a bit of thrift shopping. I think one of the reasons I pack a carry-on bag like a pro is because I want to make sure I have enough room for any thrifted items I bring back home.

So when I went to Finland a few weeks ago {Helsinki and then Turku}, I wasn’t really sure if I’d have time to hit up a thrift store, but as soon as I arrived in Turku, Finland’s oldest city, I immediately spotted not one, but two secondhand shops.

I. Was. Stoked. And it also felt like that was the universe’s way of saying, “Patrice, you must thrift.”

Here’s what I found while thrift shopping in Turku.

I was staying less than five minutes away from Maanantai Market thrift shop so I knew I had to pop in. With less than 45 minutes to shop, it was a quick lap around the store but I’m happy with what I found.

One of the things I love about thrifting in a new city or country is seeing what garments are in abundance and what trends are popular. The Turku shop had tons of Zara on display and naturally, they had quite a few pieces from Finnish brand Marimekko. The store was also extremely bright and organized, which made it easy for me to get through the racks. This was such a blessing since I was low on time.

The first thing I spotted was a gold chain belt. But not just any gold chain belt, it had fun tassels. This was 9 Euros and the most expensive item I purchased. I also found a pair of vintage clip on earrings. These were in a small basket with tons of other accessories, but the gold and polished black made them easy to spot.

A simple, but essential item for me was this black body suit. I wasn’t even sure if it fit {didn’t have time to try things on!}, but I was willing to take a risk. Low and behold, the sleeves are a biiiiit too snug so I’ll probably give this away to a friend. Oh well.

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And for the final simple, but oh so awesome piece: this vintage denim dress. The acid wash denim is retro, but that lion detail on the bodice is a-frickin-mazing!!! And the icing on the cake? The dress has pockets. I recently wore this vintage dress with a crop top underneath and it fit perfectly. This is something I can wear year round and I’m sure you’ll see me wearing it quite often {just warning you in advance}.

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Thrifty Thursday: a little head to toe thrift action. I’ve been on the hunt for a vintage chain link Chanel belt. Well, this isn’t Chanel but I scored her for less than 10 Euros while in Finland a few weeks ago. 🙌🏾 Warning, you’ll get tired of seeing me wear her. * * * * #lookingflyonadime #budgetfashion #affordablefashion #fashiononabudget #styleonabudget #affordablestyle #budgetstyle #vintagestyle #vintagefashion  #thrifting #thriftstorestyle #thriftstorefinds #thrift #thriftshopping #thriftstyle #blackswhoblog #browngirlblogger #blackgirlswhoblog #blackfashionblogger #outfitgoals  #realoutfitgram  #visualcrush  #everydaystyle #makeyousmilestyle #vintagebelt

A post shared by Travel & Lifestyle writer (@patricejwill) on Nov 7, 2019 at 6:06pm PST

Besides loving all of these pieces, they’re reminders of an amazing trip I experienced. So having the chance to combine travel and fashion, particularly thrifting? That’s always a win-win.