My mom and I had a few minutes to kill yesterday afternoon, so we decided to swing by the Las Vegas Arts District to check out a relatively new clothing consignment store she read about online. It turned out to be such a cool place, so of course I had to share more about it here on the blog! The store is called Alt Rebel and is a second-hand shop aimed at making thrifting an “upscale experience”. Not only did the store have really cool vibes, with printed dressing rooms and unique art all over the walls, but every clothing item also had a fancy Alt Rebel tag on it, instead of the bland paper tags you find at regular thrift stores. It’s all in the details, right?!

The store also has a really cool story behind it, which is what the article was about that my mom read online. The owner used to be a gymnast and toured a year with Cirque du Soleil before deciding she wanted to do something related to fashion instead. She opened Alt Rebel four months into the pandemic because she had already signed the lease for the building before all this craziness started! Thankfully, the store seems to be doing well, and I was so excited to get to explore it. I didn’t think to take a pic outside the storefront, but my mom reminded me to take photos of everything I tried on. See below!!

I love thrifting because the pieces are always so unique and unlike anything you could find at a regular store. It’s just like treasure hunting! You never know if you’re going to find something that you like or that fits just right, but when you do… boy is it exciting. Instead of everyday wear, I always find myself gravitating towards fancier dresses and everything sparkly when secondhand shopping. I’m like Bruce from Finding Nemo when he smells blood—if I see something sparkly, my eyes get big and dark and all I see is that one sparkly piece hanging on the rack. Naturally, I was attracted to this velvet and bedazzled dress!

Alt Rebel’s focus is vintage and 80s pieces, so I really enjoyed trying on unique styles from different eras. This black velvet dress was so cute! I love the intricate rhinestone design on the front (and back!), and it even has a cute little trim along the sleeves.

As cute as this dress was, especially with the sassy open back, I decided to pass on it because it was too short. It doesn’t look bad in the photo but the second I moved, the dress bunched up funny around my hips. Plus, it would have been impossible to wash—spot clean only, ugh!

How stinking cute is this tropical palm print dress?! I found it hanging on the sale rack in the back, although everything I picked up was super affordable—I think the most expensive item I tried on was $25. This dress has the prettiest, exaggerated tulip hem and cupcake shape, which you can’t really see that well in the picture (the skirt is sort of gathered at the waist on my left side). It also has some really flattering seams along the top of the bust. Unfortunately, it didn’t zip up all the way, but I can’t get over how cute it is for the summer time!

This houndstooth dress (originally Michael Kors) fit me like a glove, but I decided to pass on it because I don’t think drop-waist styles are very flattering on me. The seam on this dress hits me right across my hips, the widest—instead of smallest—part of me. While I love the old-fashioned-ness of a drop-waist, I’ve never thought it’s the right style for my body. Still a super cute dress, though!

Next was this Kelly green two-piece set. Funny enough, the skirt was huge on me, but the button-down top was too small.

I love the bold color, though, and I think this top looks like something you could buy at a store like H&M or American Eagle this spring/summer—right on trend. Don’t you love how some styles always come back?

Okay, I know this black dress doesn’t look like much in the dark changing room, but I LOVE it! This is the one piece I ended up purchasing—for only $16, including tax. Such a steal. Did I need another fancy black dress? No, but when it’s $14.95 and hugs you in all the right places, I feel like you can’t say no. It’s almost a bandage material, so it’s super stretchy and forms to my body just right. But the best part, of course, is the three layers of super thick fringe on the bottom! So perfect for dancing, and you know my obsession with flapper style… I think this dress would look really spicy with a red lip, low bun, and red flower in my hair, sort of Flamenco-esque.

When the woman at the front was helping me check out, she asked if I had an occasion for this dress. I laughed and said, “Nope!” but boy, when this pandemic is over, I’m going to need a lot of occasions. I keep buying really inexpensive, fancy dresses even though I have nowhere to wear them, haha!

I realllly wanted this three-piece set to work, but sadly it was just too small. It’s another bright green color (clearly I was gravitating towards that shade yesterday), and the crop top has the cutest halter tie straps. Although, it was tight enough to stay up on its own, had it been strapless. It also came with this little wrap skirt that ties in the front.

And underneath? The cutest high-waisted matching shorts! These shorts are very short and very tight, but I would have snatched this set up in a heartbeat had it been a size bigger. I’ve never seen a three-piece set like this before, but after a lil’ research, it seems like these kinds of sets were very popular in the 50s/60s. I would love to know where and when this set actually came from. I think that should be a requirement at the store when people sell their clothing—to disclose all the juicy fashion details!

This dress was another piece I really wanted to work, but as much as I sucked my stomach in, I couldn’t get the zipper to close. This dress is fully beaded and has the most amazing bedazzled shoulder areas, complete with true shoulder pads.

My dad thought this dress was a little *too* 80s, but hey, I would have rocked it! Maybe even with some big crimped hair!

Overall, it was such a fun experience exploring this lil’ consignment shop for half an hour, although I’ve never felt so out of place in a store—all the people there seemed so cool! It’s like that line in Gavin DeGraw’s song “Best I Ever Had”, where he says there’s “too many hipsters and I just can’t relate.” That’s exactly how I felt. The lady who helped me check out was absolutely rocking the funkiest outfit I’ve ever seen, with an off-white faux fur vest, rainbow bell bottoms, glitter eye shadow, and a middle part, with the strands closest to her face dyed a lime green color like Billie Eilish. This place was definitely too cool for me but I loved it nonetheless!

If you’re in Vegas any time soon, you should definitely check out Alt Rebel and the surrounding Art District area. I didn’t stay long but it looked like there was a lot to explore!

Which of these looks was your favorite? As always, thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Monday.

 

Miles of smiles,
Grace