Reno, Nevada: Junkee Clothing Exchange

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Home to the Miss USA/Teen USA Pageants for the next 3 years (at the https://www.grandsierraresort.com/), Reno, Nevada is the Biggest Small Town in the World (according to their own proclamation), and a fun place to hang out.  When I used to have a “real job,” I called on a customer in Minden (about 30 minutes away), and I always planned an overnight so that I could eat the mushroom ravioli at La Strada (inside the El Dorado downtown).  And while I don’t eat pasta anymore (sacrilege for an Italian, right?), it still ranks as one of my most memorable gastronomic experiences!

The heavenly mushroom ravioli!
Old World dining room

https://www.caesars.com/eldorado-reno/restaurants/la-strada

This particular trip, I spent my evenings at the Miss Teen USA Costume Competition, the preliminaries for both Teen and Miss, and the Miss Teen USA finals.

At the Miss Teen USA Costume Competition with 2nd Place Miss North Carolina Teen USA
Miss Montana Teen USA Julia Kunau representing snow
Miss Oregon Teen USA representing the state insect: The Swallowtail Butterfly
Miss Oregon USA Arielle Freytag awaits her turn to compete the next day
Miss Idaho Teen USA Angelina Ryan at the Preliminaries
Miss WA Teen USA Kate Dixon after finals
My outfit turned heads!

But my days were free to shop, and I took full advantage!  Junkee Clothing Exchange & Antiques (http://www.junkeeclothingexchange.com/) checks several boxes for me:  vintage costumes, one-of-a-kind pieces, old and new clothes/jewelry/accessories, and absurdly reasonable prices!

Just walking in is an experience:  it’s funky and eccentric and just plain cool!  What a fun job it must have been to decorate (I would have done it for free!).

Changing displays greet you as you enter
Clever way to decorate a column!

One side of the store is for clothing and accessories (women’s, men’s and some kids), and the other side is antiques, which work hand in hand with each other.  I’ve taken a couple pageant girls there, and we’ve been able to shop both sides to complete an outfit (vintage brooches, handmade fascinaters, etc.).

One of my girls found a skirt, top, wig and brooch for under $65!
A previous trip shopping with one of my pageant girls (which was quite successful, as you can see)!
Vintage jewelry in the antique mall side

Every time I go I find a few treasures for myself, one of which I’m going to incorporate into my next Red Carpet gown for the Global Beauty Awards!  Here are a couple of my finds on this trip: 

A vintage costume blue sequin tube dress, which I will make into a skirt
Haven’t decided what I will do with the red and black feather boa, but it will surely be something spectacular!
Careful: you could spend hours here!

960 S. Virginia St.
Reno NV 89502
775-322-5865

Store Hours:
11am – 7pm Every day
We buy your clothes: 12pm – 4pm Every day

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