10 Questions for a Thriftanista - 14th Street Vintage | Thriftanista in the City


10 Questions for a Thriftanista - 14th Street Vintage

How excited am I to present my Thriftanista Social Club friend and vintage seller extraordinaire Bettie! She is the etsypreneur behind 14th Street Vintage. She's also listed on Krrb / Apartment Therapy's Top 100 vintage sellers in the Chicagoland area. 

thrift store with 14th street vintage

After meeting her, I knew that I wanted to pursue my own entrepreneurial goals in online resale. Bettie is my inspiration. 

thriftanista bettie

Name: Bettie
Location: Chicagoland

1. Favorite places to shop?

Small thrift stores run by religious organizations. They always have clean merchandise and kindly old people who have nothing else to do but carefully wrap my merchandise and chat. 

sequin beaded thrift top

2. What are some of your favorite finds?

My hot pink Ralph Lauren trench, my large collection of "sensible shoes" and my bakelite and lucite bangles. 

3. How would you describe your style?

Comfortable. I can't stand anything that's tight. I don't adhere to any rules except staying away from clothes that are too big or too small. No horizontal stripes. I still believe they make you look bigger. I wear what I like, as long as I think it looks good on me and pay little attention to any fashion rules. Except white after Labor Day and the aforementioned thing about HORRID-zontal stripes. 

thrifted outfits


I'm going to the jewelry counter. No such thing as "it doesn't fit". I have tons of vintage jewelry and I see no end in sight. 

5. How much of your closet is thrifted?

About 75% of my closet is thrifted, maybe more. 

6. Why do you thrift?

I thrift because I can go on a weekly shopping "spree" and still put gas in my car. There's something quite heady about volume. Bags and bags of stuff and it's all mine. (Sinister laugh...) Also, you can't find authentic vintage in a retail store. That's where I come in. 

7. Do you have a thrifting budget?

No budget, but I don't think I've ever spent over $50 in one trip, and if I spend even that much, I probably can't see out of the back car window.

thrift store fashion ideas


An original Picasso, but I'm still looking. 

I buy a lot of home decor and furniture. I have found a couple of great vintage bar carts, and they are pretty hard to find. I have no need for them, so they are a resale no-brainer.


I just blogged about the hazards of thrifting, like spearing your fingers with staples. Also, the whole idea of having allergy or asthma issues is very real. You don't know what environment the clothes have been in. I keep everything tied up in plastic bags until I'm ready to work with them. A hot dryer, sprayed with Lysol is my go-to for a lot of things. It kills dust mites and sanitizes. It also helps to get rid of dust, dander, etc. If it's washable, it goes from the plastic bag to the washer. 

10. Where can we see more of your amazing finds?

Visit 14th Street Vintage on Etsy or Krrb!

best chicago vintage


14th Street Vintage said...


Ashleigh said...

LOVE! I totally agree about the jewelry counter thing!

Unknown said...

lovely collections.


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