one man's trash...

one man's trash is another man's treasure. at least that's the thought behind many consignment and thrift shops, and a thought i've had in my head many times. it started with kids' old little league tees and boy scout button-downs from goodwill when i was in college, and by now i've thankfully moved on to vintage and designer consignment shops.

my latest find is carnaby street at downtown at the gardens. i accidentally stumbled in there after shopping with my cousin and grandmother at sur la table, and am very happy i did. i spent a good amount of time scouring the store and found some interesting items, both new and old. 

newer items included coach wallets, lilly pulitzer dresses and a cashmere kensie sweater (so beautiful, but unfortunately not in my size!), as well as vintage items like ferragamo suits and hand-beaded gowns, some of which were once worth $18,000! and don't forget labels like chanel, prada, valentino and ralph lauren.

i found it to be a personal score though when i saw the section of leather in the corner. i had been looking for the perfect faux leather vest for about a week, so discovering the pieces at carnaby street was pretty exciting. rather than going out and purchasing a fake for close to $30, or spending more than $100 on a new version that will go out of style soon, i was able to walk out with the real thing for only $39! 

that's the great thing about resale shops like these (learn about more in palm beach post fashion editor staci sturrock's blog post on pbpulse.com). if you are willing to spend some time, you can find luxury and trendy pieces in close to mint condition for less than half the original price. plus, some things, like the vest i found, have great stories that are worth reviving on your next night out in your new "treasure."

i uncovered my buried treasure at carnaby street and suggest you do the same. just don't go for the leather mini, that's one thing i'm going back for.