sharing my vintage finds from a bulk vintage clothing warehouse in philadelphia, pa | meghan 02/22/23
My favorite days are the ones that come unexpectedly and unplanned. That’s exactly what happened on Saturday with my childhood bff Emily.
Serving as a bulk warehouse for costumers + resellers - this three-floor vintage warehouse in Philly had a line wrapped around the building at 9:45 am. The 3rd floor is home to @briarvintage, the 2nd floor is @bulkvintage + the 1st floor is @planetdig (vintage clothing by the pound).
Here's what I wore:
vintage gold 80s winter coat
thrifted @zara high-neck gray sweater
nude combat boats by @ninewest
fanny pack + leggings by @lululemon
Here's what I scored:
3 pairs of vintage high-rise jeans
vintage orange blazer w. gold buttons
two vintage silk cami tops
long-sleeved silk gold top
black + white 80s jumpsuit
vintage nude silk high-neck dress
90s cotton floral dress
90s pin-striped romper
vintage hawaiian button down
90s mini skirt w. roses
50s wool coat w. pink silk lining
Here's where we ate + drank:
@milkcratecafe (groovy lattes + tunes)
@famous4thstdelicatessen (larger-than-life deli sandwiches)
Once a month (every 3rd Saturday) the warehouse hosts an “open house” for anyone to come and shop their vintage clothing selection - with no minimum purchase required. During the week there is a $100 minimum for both the 2nd + 3rd floor - additionally, an appointment is required for the 3rd floor.
We started on the top floor - which felt like stepping into a scene right out of Hairspray the musical! @briarvintage is home to rows and rows of formal gowns organized by decade, cut + color - a gorgeous studio showroom preserving historical artifacts.
Any shade of dress pants or blazer you could dream of - racks of army jackets, vests, bow ties + hats all in mint condition.
Unique vintage posters + art adorn the studio space and their coat selection was prestine - vintage leathers, denims, furs, you name it.
The second floor is home to @bulkvintage - this is where my entire haul came from in our Instagram reel seen here.
Picture a warehouse floor filled with rows of cardboard bins sectioned off by decade, style, cut, color, fabric type, brand, etc. I’m talking dresses, skirts, blazers, pants, tops, jackets, belts, handbags, tees, knits, gowns, denim, cargo…. all in giant heaping piles in boxes.
And everything was truly vintage plus in good condition - no stains, snags, rips, or disappointments with my haul!
No outside bags allowed in - you’re given a basket (if you’re lucky) and a sheet - the way it works is you lay the sheet down in front of the desired box you’d like to sort through. You dump out the clothes onto the sheet - and toss back in what you don't want! It was…. wild. And fun. So much fun. It was honestly inspiring seeing so many passionate fashionistas rescuing treasures. I believe this is how we #stopfastfashion.
My tips:
1. Wear tight clothing - this makes it easy to quickly try on pants, slip a top on, etc. - there are no dressing rooms on the 2nd floor.
2. Buy the early access tickets for $10. My girlfriends + I paid for early access tickets to the open house and it was truly so worth it - highly recommend if you’re looking to dig the bins on the 2nd floor! People were husting + bustling in there.
3. Have an idea of what you're hunting for - or else it's going to feel too overwhelming. I went in knowing I wanted jeans + a few staples to freshen up my spring wardrobe. This led me to start in the jean bin, and gravitate toward pastels, and vintage silks for spring in tops, dresses + skirts.
4. Hair up. Jewelry off. You're going to get hot and tired sifting through the bins - the less on you the better.
5. Lunch plans afterward! Absolutely have plans for lunch following the adventures because you will be starving.
Spark a conversation if you have any questions about my experience - I'd love to connect. lucidladybugvintage@gmail.com or @lucid.ladybug.
Be well, Meghan
photography: @lucid.ladybug | all rights reserved.
I had no idea this existed!