Contributed by: Augustine Pilon (@lamyrtille), Salvation Army Thrift Store Creative Expert
The older I get, the more I realize how lucky I am to live in such a fabulous country with four distinct seasons. In my opinion, what makes winter charming is undoubtedly the snow and winter sports. Winter lovers will tell you without hesitation: when you are well dressed for the elements, winter can easily become your favorite season! In this blog, I’m showing you the winter outdoor clothing that I found at my local Salvation Army Thrift Store in Montreal. Say goodbye to the monotony of February and opt for bright colors, like me! I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: it’s possible to dress almost entirely in second-hand clothes, no matter what time of the year it is.
Find #1: Retro Burton Coat
First of all, I had a huge crush on this Burton coat with its vintage colors and matching headband. It was brand new when I found it – it still had the original store labels on it! I don’t know if its former owner found the colors too flashy and never had the courage to wear it, but I LOVE it! I wear it regularly for skiing, I find it breathes well, it’s not too heavy, the pockets are very practical and I like the fact that it fits like a hoodie. When I wear it, my friends also find it very easy to find me, hehe!
On the picture below, you can see that the headband has the same pattern as the elastic band inside the coat. Isn’t it great? After some research on the Internet, I discovered that the Burton company created this kit in the late 2000s as a tribute to their 80s coats. For the vintage enthusiast that I am, it’s just perfect!
Find #2: Head Jacket
We stay in the same color theme with this super retro sleeveless Head overcoat. If you’re a downhill skier, you probably know the company Head. While doing my daily tour of The Salvation Army Thrift Stores near me last November, I found this little cropped, super stylish jacket. It was really affordable, very original and in too good condition to be set aside. Its hood is very practical and I might wear it more on days when it’s not too cold outside because the jacket has no lining inside.
FIND #3: Columbia Coat with Built-in Puffer
I have warned you, this blog contains color! Here I am now in a turquoise, royal blue and fluorescent pink Columbia coat that most likely dates back to the 80s or 90s. You know what’s great about this coat is that it has an ultra-warm “puffer jacket” on the inside. So, you can wear it with the lining, or without it on warmer days.
You guessed it, here is the Columbia puffer jacket that was inside the previous turquoise coat. What I didn’t tell you was that it is not only beautiful, but also reversible! I don’t understand why companies stopped producing such cool coats. My dream is that they will start popularizing the reversible coat fashion again. I wear just the lining more often than the coat with its shell, since it’s warm enough as it is and I like the colors better. This coat can be worn in the city as well as outdoors!
Happy thrifting! 🙂