Let’s Go Shopping
by Laura Kallio
Photos by Johanna Latty
Model: Michele Cole
Clothing Provided by The Garment District
Some people go to The Gap. They find what they like, locate the appropriate size and color, and then hail one of those enthusiastic, key-carrying salespeople who dole out access to sterile dressing rooms. The victims try on said garment and then shell out loads of hard-earned cash for something that all of their buddies, not to mention the entire cast of Friends, are already wearing. Warning: By next season,they won’t be caught dead in that cute little number.
But I know my loyal Lollipop readers. They’re bolder, braver and more budget-conscious souls than the bland look-alikes who do scary things like shopping at malls (shiver, shiver, gasp). They prefer venturing a little deeper into the nether regions of the retail clothing industry – second-hand and vintage clothing stores.
These alterna-fashion meccas can pretty much be classified into two major categories. First, you’ve got your real thrift stores. Real generally means odd smells, missing buttons, size sixes mixed in with size twelves, draconian return policies, and elderly women wearing too much makeup standing behind glass counters filled to the gills with generic hosiery and plastic beads available in a rainbow of colors.
This is where you go to start that collection of ridiculous, ill-fitting t-shirts with ‘Ray’s Auto Body,’ or some such, printed across the front. Also a good place to find cool ashtrays. If you’re lucky, the proceeds of your purchase go to help a worthy cause. Lots of churches have thrift stores, there’s Pine Street Inn’s store, and then there are the larger chain outlets, like Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
These two reliable thrift store staples usually carry some department store overstock in the $5 to $7 range. Occasionally, you’ll find vintage dresses, but they ask for upwards of $15 each. They often have lots of scary prom dresses, with dyed shoes to match, of course. If you want the really good stuff though, you usually have to roll up your sleeves and dig. But getting there really is half the fun. And going through all that crap, you learn a thing or two about American clothing culture. For instance, can anyone explain to me why those blouses with the built-in ties around the collar were ever worn? It’s scary if you think about it. Another thing, don’t ever spend a lot of money at the Limited. In my travels, I’ve found more of their stuff cramming racks than any other single retail line. You want to slit your wrists when you see Limited garments that you actually wore at one time, and probably paid a pretty penny for, hanging from a wire hanger, gathering dust. But then, in the middle of this ’80s nightmare, they appear. The crowds hush. Glowing white light engulfs just what you’ve always wanted. Maroon, flared, Levi’s corduroys. And for only four bucks.
Another good one of the real genre is Amvets [80 Brighton Ave. Allston, MA]. They’ve got all the usual stuff (clothing for men, women, and children, books, curtains, assorted flatware (including a startling array of knives)), plus furniture (at great prices), large appliances (TVs, lamps, etc.) which are a little on the scungy side, and, they have half-way decent dressing rooms, unlike the Goodwills of this world. And they’re in Allston. It just feels right buying second-hand in Allston.
The second type of store is the kind with atmosphere – nice music playing, tract lighting, and cool sales people behind counters filled with artfully displayed jewelry and little nic-nacs. This is good for those who don’t shop at real thrift stores because they’re icky. These stores come in all shapes and sizes and usually combine both second-hand and serious vintage, keeping up with current trends all along. They’re great fun, and they’re usually located on nice streets with other funky shops. (Real thrift stores usually have gas stations for neighbors). And you’ll probably actually wear the things you buy in more upscale stores because everything is neat and dry cleaned and sorted by style and size. Also, because atmosphere costs. You pretty much add ten dollars to each price tag in exchange for atmosphere. So you’re safer in this type of store. Novices find a shirt for $2 and buy it, no matter what. They figure they’ll grow to like it. What have they got to lose? Well, $2 adds up. I know, every year I donate plenty of the stuff I’ve bought to the very thrift stores I originally bought them from, for $2 no doubt. If the price is closer to $12, you’re more likely to think twice. You’ll always find dressing rooms and fairly lenient return policies here (even those of us who practice self-control make sick selections every once in a while). The following are a few favorites – very snazzy, but slightly pricey places to shop:
Dragon Fly [1297 Cambridge St. Inman Square Cambridge, MA] A little bit of everything. All the major decades are represented and with a charming contemporary flair. Used jeans and one of the better selections of vintage hats and purses I’ve seen. Also, one of the only places where I’ve seen a collection of those fabulous tuxedo prom shirts from the ’70s with the ruffled fronts. They go with everything.
Cinderella’s Closet, Yellow Submarine, Foreign Affair [three little shops nestled together upstairs at 287 Thayer St. Providence, RI – if you’ve never done Thayer St., I highly recommend it, sort of a bohemian Newbury St.] Cinderella’s Closet has that boudoir feeling going on. Old vintage (’20s-’50s). Lots of pink. Very pretty. Yellow Submarine is basically Marcia Brady’s closet (mid ’60s-’70s vintage). Foreign Affair, the choicest pick of the litter, consolidates all the old stuff and smooths it over with a decidedly ’90s, almost Eurotrash, appeal. They have the best selection of genuine black leather coats a la Pulp Fiction, but at $125 and up, I think I’ll pretend I don’t notice the trend and wait ’til it passes.
Bertha Cool [Kenmore Square, Upstairs Boston, MA] Yeah, I’ll take one of everything. Small place, but without a turd in sight. Bertha Cool is used/vintage clothing with an urban feel. Almost everything is in the $20 range.
Black & Blues [89 Holland St. Davis Square Somerville, MA] A great place to stock up on used denim and leather. About 50/50, used and new, with a high quality at low prices philosophy firmly intact. The new stuff, mostly discounted overstock, is very reasonably priced. My jaw actually dropped a few times – really great dresses, blouses and pants, many in the $20-$40 range.
Great Eastern Trading Co. [49 River St. Central Square Cambridge, MA] Some of the most beautiful vintage, and I mean really vintage, I’ve seen. You’d probably be afraid to actually wear any of it – I mean, when am I gonna find occasion to wear a floor-length, black velvet coat with shearling trim, that’s older than my grandmother? – but it is great fun just to look.
Once in a very great while, the planets align properly and you find yourself with the best of both worlds. A store that transcends category. Lots of ambiance, cheap. The Garment District [200 Broadway Kendall Square Cambridge, MA] is just such a place. The Grand Poo Bah of second-hand clothing, an edenic vintage oasis, Garment, as its intimates fondly refer to it, is a veritable department store carrying contemporary used clothing, shoes and accessories. Their huge vintage section ranges from ’40s and ’50s glamor schlock to ’60s doo-wop/mod to ’70s psychedelia. With a good-sized men’s section, kids’ clothes, updated vintage (slightly on the pricey side, but great looking and worth every penny), records, lots of ‘zines, and, for the especially daring, dollar-a-pound, a visit to the Garment District is definitely worth the trek into Kendall Square. It’s incredibly inexpensive (I usually leave with 5-7 things and never spend more than around $30), the dressing rooms are big and well appointed, and there’s always great music playing. Lots of cats roaming freely. You must shop here!
So quit spending $40 for a t-shirt at Urban Outfitters. I don’t care how cool it is. If you want the genuine article, if you like knowing that you’re the only one with a particular polyester leopard-spotted shirt with a collar out to there, if you like your cloths to have a history, if Friends turns your stomach, then second-hand is the way to go. Happy shopping, and remember, it’s not who you are that really matters, it’s what you wear.
