Versace is a designer that will always hold a special place in my heart, courtesy of mum’s Versus white handbag she had when I was a teenager… I loved that bag (so did she!). I loved it so much, I took it with me on my very first trip to Japan, in 2007. And so, the love affair with Versace began.
I am extremely lucky to have been able to come across not one, not two, but three Versace pieces during my thrifting trips, within the space of about 6 months.
The very first one I found was a $35 (I know, I know, expensive for thrifting!) Versace Collection dress. I am not quite sure which era of Versace it was from, all I know is it is 100% silk, and I couldn’t say no to it. As it is quite loose around the waist, I like to pair it with a $4 Valentino belt I found on a separate occasion (but that’s a story for another time, Valentino has also something I have come across a few times when thrifting). I feel that with the warmer weather hopefully coming into Melbourne, this would be an extremely appropriate dress to wear to the office – it is loose, comfortable, and a joy to wear. Please excuse the wrinkles in it; it definitely needs a steam which I will get to ASAP! Normally I wouldn’t wear such patterns, but I am glad that I gave it a shot – it got me out of my fashion comfort zone, and into another I would not have thought about previously.
My second find was a Versace Techno Jeans navy shift dress for $20. It is so cute, and appropriate for most occasions, whether to wear to work with tights and a long sleeve underneath it along with my navy pea coat and pink velvet booties, or my navy ballet flats in the summer on its own. I have also paired this up with my Valentino belt, which gives it just a tiny bit more definition around the waist (not that it really needs it, but it’s a fun accessory).
And for my third find, the piece de resistance of my Versace thrift finds – my Gianni Versace (1946-1997) silk floral scarf that set me back a whopping $4. I love it so, so much. It is in fabulous condition, I can tell that whoever was the previous owner/s looked after it very carefully, and I intend to do the same with it. It looks fabulous tied up on a plain bag for a pop of floral, around the neck, or even in hair. It is my favourite piece out of my Versace finds, and I would have a very heavy heart if I ever had to resell it.
I do hope to find more (authentic – beware of fakes!) Versace pieces in my thrift hunting, but if these three are the only three that I come across, I would be extremely happy.
The Thrifty Hunter 