Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Special Trip: The U.P. Edition—Ironwood, MI Part 1

I absolutely love, love, LOVE the Northwoods of Wisconsin and the U.P.—it's beautiful, there are pockets of adorable hippies who work on organic farms and ski hills, there are inexplicably great radio stations, everyone is nice (real nice, not faux Minnesota nice) and life moves at a slower pace.

This area is also home to some of the best thrifting I have found, so I was stoked to have an excuse to check out some thrift shops during my family's annual ski trip to White Cap, which is about 20 minutes away from Ironwood, MI, home to two fabulous thrift shops—Gogebic Area Thrift and a St. Vincent de Paul.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Gogebic shop last year, and found such great beauts like this netted pink shell top. The St. Vinnies was sadly closed that time, so I am very pleased to announce that this time around, we were able to hit it.

The results were so amazing that I have to split them up by store. The first shop, Gogebic Area Thrift, my mother, Molly (as my brother's girlfriend, she attended the family vacation) and I intended to arrive at promptly when it opened at 9 a.m., thus ensuring maximum skiing and thrifting time, but the morning was too relaxing sipping coffee and staring at the falling snow on the ski hill to rush. We were about an hour behind schedule, and ended up spending two at the shop. The shop isn't even that large, but as there is junk everywhere (a signal of an excellent thrift shop), it takes quite some time to riffle through the racks and teetering piles of possible treasures.

Gogebic Area Thrift Shop

A view from the outside. Seriously. How picturesque is this? Doesn't it make you want to move up north where all you do is plow snow, make soup and drink tea*?

As it were, my finds turned out to be majorly 90's influenced.

Polka Dot 90's Crop Tie Top
90's Polka Dot Crop Tie Top (Gitano tag detail)
Polka Dot 90's Crop Tie Top (detail)

Witness, if you will, the most 90's article of clothing I have ever laid my eyes on: a lime green and blue, large polka dotted, ruffed, tie, crop top. You can practically see Christina Applegate prancing around the set of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead in this. (If you look closely, you can see where Ironwood is on the map right above the Gitano tag, which was a pure accident!)

90's Geo Pants

These baggy light geo-pants were my consolation prize for when Molly grabbed two amazing 90's floral print bottoms (baggy pants and shorts), as this was one of those moments where I was ready to punch her in the face.

90's Purple Running Top
Flowy Black and Tan Spotted Tank
90's Striped Boxy Tank Top

I also picked up these decidedly 90's tank tops.

White Lace Top

There were several lace tops like this one at the shop, but I deemed this as the best, for its pattern, cut and trim. My mother asked me if I was going to wear anything under it, or if I was just going to dress "like a slut."**

Vintage Slip
Vintage Slip (detail)

This slip was the only non-90's thing, and only added to my mother's perception of my trollop image (I told her I'd wear it as a skirt—disgraceful in her eyes, even if it is double layered.) Regardless, I am planning on trying out a classy/rocking a la Courtney Love (minus the sweat and raccoon eyes) lingerie-inspired look as soon as the temps are higher than 50 degrees.

*At every shop, I overheard the elderly workers and customers discussing how, due to the snow storm, it was good weather to go home and do these things. It was precious.

*In a moment of extreme Kathiness, my mother simultaneously asserted that all my "blog friends" would like her if they knew her and that we should have a party to introduce her to all of you, and that all of the blog friends hated her and were "heathens."**

**Whenever I am not making any sense, please refer back to this and remember that this is the woman who birthed me.

1 comment: