The week before last I went to Helsinki once more, one of my favourite cities. It's almost 20 years now that I have been going there regularly. My first visit was thanks to a travel agent special offer - back then, Helsinki was quite expensive and the offer was an opportunity. Well, I fell in love with the city, the architecture, the people and Finnish design (most of all Marimekko!), and that was it...
The last few times I was with my parents, who love it too, so there wasn't time for full-on shopping days, but this time I certainly did what I could! Helsinki is an absolute paradise for vintage and second hand shoppers! There are true vintage shops Play it Again Sam, Penny Lane, Hoochie Mama Jane, Ansa or Ruutu-Rouva, there are those with a bit of everything like Soma Oma and then there are "normal" second hand shops, where you might still find vintage too though. Probably the largest chain of second hand shops is UFF, they're a charity, and they sell mostly clothes. They have "normal" second hand shops which you'll find a bit away from the trendy areas, but they have "vintage" shops too. Their vintage is mostly 80s and 90s, but if you were lookin for anything "ugly" from those decades, that's the place to find it
. And it's the place to watch trendy kids and what they're wearing. Seriously, trendy kids here have nothing on what you see in Helsinki. Boys going through the women's racks and the other way round. Prices are low too. Then tere's Fida, another chain of charity run shops, they also have household goods, kitchen stuff, books etc. Also super low prices (I got a pair of J Brand jeans for 7 Euros there!). And finally, there's Relove, of which I visited two locations. They are very trendy, the racks are kind of "curated" - each rack has a number and the garments have the number of the rack they belong to on the label. They also have a nice café with free wifi. There you see trendy kids and chic ladies shopping, on a Saturday afternoon it gets busier than H&M! They have mostly new second hand stuff, label items, a bit of trendy vintage mixed in. Not as cheap, but if you know what the items cost new, it's still a great deal (modern Marimekko silk shirt - like new - for 50 Euros, new ones cost around 245 Euros). UFF, Fida and Relove are also great places to find second hand Marimekko items, Ansa is probably best if you're looking for vintage Marimekko, they have the most day wear out of all the true vintage shops, and lots of Finnish and Scandinavian labels, also other Marimekko-like brands.
So here's my vintage finds. My goal is every day wearability - I have been buying too much evening or special occasion wear or just stuff that's not practical for every day wear (or to be washed) over the years, I admit...
This is so "me", down to the colors! Home made 60s cotton mini dress with zip front and 3/4 length sleeves. So mod! I've opened the hem, still need to redo it. It was up at the higher fold, clearly an alteration, done in green (!!!) thread. I plan to rehem it at the lower one, even if the other one is visible. 1.5" makes for me the difference between wearing it as a tunic with pants and wearing it as a dress (with opaque tights).
60s cotton jacket. This was commercially made, has a label. Unlined, sturdy cotton with a bit of a sheen. Really nice, boxy cut. I think it will look cute with slim black pants, I might just wear it like a blouse.
Cute 60s cotton summer dress. Perfect fit, just need to resew some of the buttons in the back and add some more snaps to the side opening. The label is where it gets really interesting:
Yes, this was made in North Korea (we've got to remember - North Korea was economically better off than South Korea until the 70s...). Makes you wonder though how it came to Finland!
Fur jacket - found in Relove. Vintage, has an old-looking small size label but nothing else. Not perfect condition, but it's fun. It was marked as goat, I guess it's some kind of goat or maybe sheep. Roomy, but not voluminous, not super heavy, but lovely warm. It has a great hidden pocket in the front which proved perfect to keep my phone in to have it ready for photos whilst walking around!
Men's Hawaiian shirt. No idea on age, the label is completely faded. The fabric is quite thin, the buttons are some kind of natural material. I went through all the men's shirts in the trendy UFF shops looking for Hawaiian shirts, as I love them. This is a smaller size, and perfect for me!
70s polyester skirt. Found in Fida for 7.50 Euros. Came with a jacket, but they were selling items separately. I know how you shouldn't separate sets, but honestly, it looked terrible together with the jacket. It was one of those long, belted, short-sleeved jackets, and defintely too big in the bust for me, it looked terrible on me even on it's own. My guess is, this was intended for someone shorter and bustier. The skirt though is a nice fit and not too long on me. I think it will look great with a black sweater and black tights - or for summer with a light-colored top.
Cute apron - 40s or 50s, going by the print? Found at UFF, for 4 Euros I couldn't leave it there
.
And my second hand finds...
Marimekko - silk shirt (slightly oversize, but will look great with slim black pants), cotton shirt (I've got the same one in a different colorway already, also second hand - these are practically indestructible!), cotton pants, tunic made from their iconic stripy t-shirt fabric. Fun for summer!
Cute modern Zara blouse. Yes, very yellow, but I love the print! I also got two pairs of jeans just the way I like them and that fit me - Vila and J Brand, for a whopping 6.50 and 7 Euros in Fida!
My next Halloween outfit is also done! Disney villainesses print stretch dress plus an oversize black rose lace jacket to go over it, just to tone it down a bit - that dress is super tight
. Quite sturdy though, keeps it all in, I don't think Spanx could do a better job... !
The last few times I was with my parents, who love it too, so there wasn't time for full-on shopping days, but this time I certainly did what I could! Helsinki is an absolute paradise for vintage and second hand shoppers! There are true vintage shops Play it Again Sam, Penny Lane, Hoochie Mama Jane, Ansa or Ruutu-Rouva, there are those with a bit of everything like Soma Oma and then there are "normal" second hand shops, where you might still find vintage too though. Probably the largest chain of second hand shops is UFF, they're a charity, and they sell mostly clothes. They have "normal" second hand shops which you'll find a bit away from the trendy areas, but they have "vintage" shops too. Their vintage is mostly 80s and 90s, but if you were lookin for anything "ugly" from those decades, that's the place to find it
. And it's the place to watch trendy kids and what they're wearing. Seriously, trendy kids here have nothing on what you see in Helsinki. Boys going through the women's racks and the other way round. Prices are low too. Then tere's Fida, another chain of charity run shops, they also have household goods, kitchen stuff, books etc. Also super low prices (I got a pair of J Brand jeans for 7 Euros there!). And finally, there's Relove, of which I visited two locations. They are very trendy, the racks are kind of "curated" - each rack has a number and the garments have the number of the rack they belong to on the label. They also have a nice café with free wifi. There you see trendy kids and chic ladies shopping, on a Saturday afternoon it gets busier than H&M! They have mostly new second hand stuff, label items, a bit of trendy vintage mixed in. Not as cheap, but if you know what the items cost new, it's still a great deal (modern Marimekko silk shirt - like new - for 50 Euros, new ones cost around 245 Euros). UFF, Fida and Relove are also great places to find second hand Marimekko items, Ansa is probably best if you're looking for vintage Marimekko, they have the most day wear out of all the true vintage shops, and lots of Finnish and Scandinavian labels, also other Marimekko-like brands.So here's my vintage finds. My goal is every day wearability - I have been buying too much evening or special occasion wear or just stuff that's not practical for every day wear (or to be washed) over the years, I admit...
This is so "me", down to the colors! Home made 60s cotton mini dress with zip front and 3/4 length sleeves. So mod! I've opened the hem, still need to redo it. It was up at the higher fold, clearly an alteration, done in green (!!!) thread. I plan to rehem it at the lower one, even if the other one is visible. 1.5" makes for me the difference between wearing it as a tunic with pants and wearing it as a dress (with opaque tights).
60s cotton jacket. This was commercially made, has a label. Unlined, sturdy cotton with a bit of a sheen. Really nice, boxy cut. I think it will look cute with slim black pants, I might just wear it like a blouse.
Cute 60s cotton summer dress. Perfect fit, just need to resew some of the buttons in the back and add some more snaps to the side opening. The label is where it gets really interesting:
Yes, this was made in North Korea (we've got to remember - North Korea was economically better off than South Korea until the 70s...). Makes you wonder though how it came to Finland!
Fur jacket - found in Relove. Vintage, has an old-looking small size label but nothing else. Not perfect condition, but it's fun. It was marked as goat, I guess it's some kind of goat or maybe sheep. Roomy, but not voluminous, not super heavy, but lovely warm. It has a great hidden pocket in the front which proved perfect to keep my phone in to have it ready for photos whilst walking around!
Men's Hawaiian shirt. No idea on age, the label is completely faded. The fabric is quite thin, the buttons are some kind of natural material. I went through all the men's shirts in the trendy UFF shops looking for Hawaiian shirts, as I love them. This is a smaller size, and perfect for me!
70s polyester skirt. Found in Fida for 7.50 Euros. Came with a jacket, but they were selling items separately. I know how you shouldn't separate sets, but honestly, it looked terrible together with the jacket. It was one of those long, belted, short-sleeved jackets, and defintely too big in the bust for me, it looked terrible on me even on it's own. My guess is, this was intended for someone shorter and bustier. The skirt though is a nice fit and not too long on me. I think it will look great with a black sweater and black tights - or for summer with a light-colored top.
Cute apron - 40s or 50s, going by the print? Found at UFF, for 4 Euros I couldn't leave it there
.And my second hand finds...
Marimekko - silk shirt (slightly oversize, but will look great with slim black pants), cotton shirt (I've got the same one in a different colorway already, also second hand - these are practically indestructible!), cotton pants, tunic made from their iconic stripy t-shirt fabric. Fun for summer!
Cute modern Zara blouse. Yes, very yellow, but I love the print! I also got two pairs of jeans just the way I like them and that fit me - Vila and J Brand, for a whopping 6.50 and 7 Euros in Fida!
My next Halloween outfit is also done! Disney villainesses print stretch dress plus an oversize black rose lace jacket to go over it, just to tone it down a bit - that dress is super tight
. Quite sturdy though, keeps it all in, I don't think Spanx could do a better job... !
