Brechó Update

People are always asking me about the good consignment stores in Rio, as I'm always on the lookout for a deal. Now that I'm kid-i-fied, we'll be posting about the children's brechós as well, though I've yet to explore them.

For newbies to the Rio shopping scene, clothing stores have outrageous prices unless you're buying something that was obviously slave-made. If saving all your clothes shopping for a once-yearly trip back home is too much of a hassle or out of the question, I highly recommend searching out the good brechós, which have nothing in common with the dirty, back alley sort of used clothing stores that most people in Rio still think of when you say "brechó." No piles of 1970's holey polyester knits in these shops!

In order from most to least chic, here are my pics:

1. Petit Lilly on Visconde de Pirajá 550, on the 3rd floor. It's a find and then some!

2. Burburinho Brechó is worth a visit if you're in the beginning of the Barra neighborhood...there's also the (only?) Casas Pedro* in Barra just up the street, so you can pick up any bulk goods or Middle-Eastern snacks while you're out shopping. Or headed to the beach. Or whatever!

3. Cittá America has one on the ground floor on the back corridor, left side. I forget the name but it's by the Cafuné coffee shop, which has a hot pink chair or two and really cool industrial design (and pretty good but costly coffee).

While in Ipanema a while back, I saw what might be one on Maria Quiteria: SecondFX? Must check it out sometime. There are also a few more scattered through Leblon and Ipanema, tucked into the "secret" malls which barely advertise and look like apartments...but I wouldn't really recommend them. They bill themselves as "couture" vintage, but who wants to buy a Prada something or other that's been worn within a millimeter of it's life? Not me.

As far as children's brechós go, I know of two: Adoleta, which is on the same floor as Petit Lilly, and one in Cittá America, on the opposite end of the ground floor from the adult brechó. If anyone knows of others that are worth visiting, let me know in the comments!

*Speaking of Casas Pedro, I have to give a shout-out to the sweet salesperson at our local store who saved out a couple of 18 L buckets for me to use as diaper pails. Totally free. Score! A similarly sized trash can would have set us back at least $30...the moral of this anecdote is that it always pays to ask. Even when the request is a little ridiculous.