Day Tripping: Elm City’s Vintage Stylemakers
If you mix retro with your Ralph, check out three must-see boutiques that pay homage to vintage in three very different ways. The experience will remind you what retail used to be – a treasure hunt! Think Henri Bendel 1986. Street parking is convenient at each location, or go native and Uber. Happy hunting!
Fashionista Vintage Variety
HBO’s The Deuce beelined to Fashionista Vintage Variety, as do bonafide rock stars and stylists from coast to coast. Think Eclectic Thrift Couture. From evening gowns to kimonos to flapper dresses to denim to shoes and accessories, vintage stalkers will be drooling over the selection here. Their on-site owner/stylists have you covered when you need some Decade Party or Gatsby-ish couture. The best part, you can rent! The place is bold and brash and seriously entertaining. (Oh, and one of our favorite lunch spots, Caseus, is right next door!).
fashionista.com 93 Whitney Avenue, New Haven
Vintanthromodern
It’s a mouthful (vin-tan-throw-modern), but there’s method to the madness: an amalgamation of vintage, anthropology and modern, and that’s exactly what you’ll find here. From antique rugs to Art Nouveau couches, and local maker finds like vintage glasses filled with handmade candles, letterpress cards, and artisan jewelry, owner Melissa Gonzales has a knack for presentation and sourcing. A recent stop yielded a Burberry raincoat, a fab Akris jacket, and Chloe shoes. Blink and you’ll miss something!
vintanthromodern.com 938 State Street, New Haven
Civvies
The English Building Market (now EBM Vintage), a vast 4000 square foot storefront and destination for all things vintage, has just opened, Civvies, a spanking new boutique to showcase their exemplary collection of apparel. On the hunt for vintage Dior or Pucci? You’ll find it here, plus a trove of classic little black cocktail dresses and furs from iconic New Haven Kramer Furrier. The vibe is a cross between Downton Abby ladylike (think white gloves and pearls) and Auntie Mame’s closet. Or maybe Sandra Bernhardt’s. You get the picture.
civviesvintage.com 845 Chapel Street, New Haven