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Brittany Rose leaning on a brown wall and wearing a thrifted look: a knitted headband, cropped beige blazer with black trimmings, and mustard colored wide leg pants.

Feminine Chic with Second Hand

Brittany Rose, loves all things that come with being a woman. 32-year old New Yorker knows how to dress up elegantly with affordable vintage pieces.

  • Liisa Jokinen

  • Dec 31, 2019

“When I was younger I would wear a lot of name brand clothing at first. As I got older, I learned that my Aunt Flora was a major thrifter. Before her passing, she invited me over to her house and showed me a room full of vintage pieces from the 40s-90s. It looked more like a store. That was 15 years ago and that’s when I fell in love and was introduced to vintage clothing.

Now I like to wear vintage because it’s completely original and you won’t be able to find those pieces anywhere.

Thrifting has absolutely changed my style as I have now more unique options that are hard to find anywhere.

Suited and Booted is what I like to call this look. By day I work in a corporate office and I always add some vintage flair to my business looks. I bought these two items separately at GG's Social Trade & Treasure Club but knew they would match perfectly.

When you have the eye, trust it.

My favorite places to shop are local Goodwills, street vendors, L Train Vintage in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Color Explosion in Houston, TX. This coat I bought at L Train Vintage and the skirt at Beacon’s Closet, both in Brooklyn.

When looking for new stores I always go online to find the best ones and, of course, I look on Instagram. I’m not a huge online shopper because I like to try on my clothing, however, I make exceptions if I feel I can’t live without the item and have an emotional connection with it.

I recently lost my grandfather and he played a huge role in my life. When I think of this army jacket I think of him. He was a Major in the military and I wanted to honor him by wearing something that meant so much to him.

My style inspirations come from everyday life. I'll walk down the streets of New York and compliment someone on their outfit and it will automatically inspire me to come up with a different look. I also get my creative inspiration from music, art museums, fashion shows, and just being in creative spaces.

This green velvet off the shoulder 1980’s dress with a high slit is one of my all-time favorites. It makes me feel luxurious, elegant, and authentic. It embodies who I am as a person. I only spent $20 on it at L Train Vintage and that makes the dress even more special. I love to save my money and look good doing it.

After I moved from Houston, TX, to New York I started something called Vintage Forum.

I love vintage clothing so much I wanted to create something fun for people to watch, and bring exposure to the vintage stores I love.

I’m the host, producer, and writer of the show. I interview vintage store owners and talk about their businesses, how they started and how they survive competing with fast fashion and popular well-known brands.”

Follow Brittany on IG @iambrittanyrose_