Why Vintage?

I can only answer for myself as vintage clothing has been nearly a lifetime passion as a wearer, collector and retailer.

It all started with my grandmother's cedar wardrobe tucked into the attic gables of her little farmhouse on the prairie. It was the mid-late 1960s and I was probably 8 or 9 when I discovered that wardrobe. While not particularly girly, I had a decided opinion about what I wore. My tastes have always skewed toward alternative and those mothball infused dresses, party gowns, sheer nylon blouses with their rhinestone buttons and fur trimmed coats of the 40s and 50s called my name. I cringe now when I think about how my sister and I relentlessly played dress up with those treasures and wore them to smithereens but it was the beginning of a life long love affair with fashion in general and most especially vintage/retro fashion.

Somewhere along the line, those old clothes disappeared along with the wardrobe and I was a teenager in my hippie chick uniform consisting of bell bottomed jeans or overalls embroidered over pocket edges and every hole covered with a stitched butterfly or flower. Having little money and having to negotiate when I wasn't buying my own clothes, I always ended up with "sensible" which to me meant plain and BORING so when I found an old pair of ivory muslin curtains in a box in the basement I sat down at the machine and made a couple of fluttery tops that I then embellished. So Scarlet O'Hara of me. (This was a few years before I read Gone With The Wind in my early 20s so I had no idea at the time!) I was on my way to fashion independence.

Then it happened: I was connected to my vintage roots once again at a farm auction in the late 1970s. I went looking for cheap furniture to fill my first apartment but I couldn't compete with the antique dealers so I bought an amusing looking box full of Edwardian whites and old linens among other things that didn't interest the dealers. In that box were old bloomers, drawers, corset covers, blouses and chemises that I cleaned, repaired, in some cases embellished and incorporated them into my wardrobe.

Then I discovered 40s dresses! about the time the Pointer Sisters were hitting the scene with theirs. Then it was 40s suits, and 50s lingerie and cotton day pieces. I started haunting auctions, farms sales, tag sales, junk and thrift stores looking for vintage clothing. I got tons of compliments and inquiries as to where I was finding my clothes but most didn't understand what I was talking about when I tried to explain it, the rest were disapproving. Hey, no competition! Anyway....

A long decade passes, vintage becomes a thing about the same time my genetics catch up with me in the mid-late 80s so I started to collect and then resell, including my personal collection. I still wear vintage but it's the more unstructured ethnic pieces and caftans that work for me now.

Vintage pieces are almost always of superior fabrication and detailing. The tradeoff is that vintage pieces normally require more specialized care than modern clothing and rarely have any give but the pieces are eye-catching, normally are one of a kind even if they were mass produced, they have become singular by attrition and lastly, vintage fashion has withstood the test of time.

I'm a dedicated fan. If you are even curious about fashion come visit the shop sometime. We'll talk!

Thanks for reading.

Shop Opening Day!

We got to the shop an hour before opening but since we were pretty used to an opening routine left over from our days at the West Bottoms, we were ready by 12:30. Good thing since three customers came by before opening time.

I'm hoping for sales right away but I'm realistic. It will take a while to get the word out and for customers to find me.

Summer Hours: Friday & Saturdays 12-6 pm
                           Sundays 12-4pm

In the meanwhile some photos:

The Outside is Painted!

Yay! It looks marvelous. Classic.

The old chipped, faded and multicolored facade didn't inspire confidence in the greatness within the shops in the building.

I took a few photos. We are behind the gray door. Opening Friday, May 17th at 1pm.