Penchant for Thrift
After months of longing and procrastination, I finally bussed down to the Bukit Timah branch of Salvation Army’s thrift store. My last visit taught me that the usual shopping tactic of flitting through racks at light-speed is not suitable for second-hand shopping. No, thrift stores call for endless optimism, light curiosity, a willingness to ignore odd smells, patience, an open mind and several hours of free time.
And what marvelous finds you can find if you only take the time!
I picked up an old plastic 35mm that claims to be an Agfa 200 (although no such thing seems to exist, how exciting) and a Windsmoor jacket that set my heart a-thumping like a shopping-obssessed internal boombox on speed. The last time it did that was when I walked into Closet Child in Tokyo last May. And HMV Japan. And the Tokyo Dome. And Yosuke USA’s Maruione outlet. And Narita Airport. And Hell, just most of Japan really.
I must find some kind of excuse to wear to out one day, wool and blistering Singapore be-damned.
Purchases aside, it is a soothing sort of fun to rummage (carefully) through all kinds of strange and (not always) wonderful things. The evening gown section/racks are usually the most cracktastic since most of them defy any self-respect and decent sartorial taste.
It’s like a treasure hunt, only less sand and more dust.
