Individuality of products attracts vintage clothes buyers
By Chris Allerheiligen
Staff Reporter
A search for individuality seems
to be the attraction of vintage cloth
ing and collectible jewelry.
“Most people come here because
they’re looking for something differ
ent,” saidC.J. Rice, co-owner of Top
Drawer, 722 N. 27 St..
Karen Jordan-Anderson, owner of
Second Wind, 720 O St., said that
vintage clothing can make people
stand out.
“Vintage clothing is classic but
can be rcafiy funky, Jordan-Andcr
son said.
Both Second Wind and The Top
Drawer carry clothes ranging from
the 1960s back to the turn of the cen
tury. They also have accessories such
as jewelry, hats, gloves, belts and
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scarves.
Most of the clothes at both stores
are from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s.
' ‘The further back you go, the less
you find,” Rice said.
Rice said that .ot much is found
from the ’30s because that was a
depression time and people would
wear out their clothes.
Jordan-Anderson said that some
clothes aren’t easy to find because of
their popularity. She said that flapper
dresses, ’50s prom dresses and wire
rimmed glass frames arc hard to find
because they are so popular.
Jordan-Anderson said that vintage
clothing stores have been around for
awhile. She said the ’50s was a throw
away decade, therefore, people
didn’t save their old clothes. But in
the ’60s, people were very recycle
conscious, which brought on the
popularity of vintage clothing.
"People buy bolero jackets here
that are popular now and were popu
lar in the ’50s. But they buy them here
because they’re individual and dif
ferent. The quality is a lot belter than
those made today," Rice said.
Both Rice and Jordan-Anderson
said they get their clothes for the
stores from private individuals.
Jordan-Anderson said that many
of the people come to her with clothes
when they are cleaning out their at
tics.
"People have a hard lime parting
with clothes because there are senti
mental attachments which make
them hard to donate. They really like
the idea that someone would appreci
ate the clothes," she said.
She said people often tell her
about the clothes and the stories be
David Frana/ Daily Nebraakan
Hand-painted silk ties and vintage jewelry at the Top Drawer, 722 N. 27 St.
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hind them.
‘People realize
the quality and
workmanship. It
Is something they
can wear and
collect at the
same time.’
—Lang
Both Jordan-Andcrson and Rice
stressed that their stores are not thrift
stores.
“We pay for these things here.
They’re not donated. We clean and
repair things and do other things that
thrift stores don’t do,’’ Rice said.
“We don’t buy everything that
people bring in. We have our stan
dards,’’ she said.
Jordan-Andcrson said she also
launders or dry cleans everything
brought in.
“Everything is ready to be worn
off the rack. That’s something I take
pride in,’’ Jordan-Andcrson said.
Jordan-Anderson said there is a
wide variety of clientele for vintage
clothing.
She said that many of her clients
are high school and college students,
business people and older adults.
“It’s not just high school students
trying to be weird. Vintage clothes
arc fun,” Jordan-Anderson said.
She said that businesswomen of
ten come in to buy suits from the ’40s
and ’50s.
Women are not the only ones who
enjoy vintage clothing, Jordan-An
derson said.
“There’s not quite as many men,
but there is a good showing,” she
said.
Jordan-Anderson said that she has
young businessmen come in looking
for the “gangster-looking, double
breasted suits.”
She said that many of the men like
the Hawaiian shirts and ’50s shirts.
Rice said that some people who
come to buy clothes do so for cos
tume parlies, but many arc buying for
their wardrobes.
“They don’t buy a ’40s outfit with
’40s gloves, hat, etc. They buy acces
sories that they think will look
good,” Rice said.
Rice said she has built up a steady
clientele and that people are very
supportive of her business.
“I know many of the people who
walk In that door. I know their inter
ests and tastes. It’s very personal. If I
don’t know them when they come in,
usually when they leave I do,’’ she
said.
Rice said customers sometimes
will help other customers pick out
things.
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i lie piaee is usuaiiy a ^uaniuiw
at the end of the day, but it’s fun -
people trying on different things and
such,” she said.
Vintage jewelry, otherwise called
collectible jewelry, is also popular
because of its uniqueness and quality.
Louis Lang, owner of Gray
Beard’s Collectibles, 733 S. 11 St.,
said there has been a rise in interest of
collectible jewelry.
‘‘People realize the quality and
workmanship. It’s something they
can wear and collect at the same
time,” he said.
“They have something different
that not everyone else has,” he said.
Linda Inman at Star City Antique
Mall, 500 N. 66 St., said that collect
ible jewelry is popular, especially
costume jewelry.
No particular piece seems to be
more popular than another, she said.
‘‘People collect everything; it
isn’t just pins, it isn’t just earrings.
People pretty much buy evenly,” she
said.
Lang said rings are very popular at
his store, but other items sell just as
well.
He also said collectible jewelry is
of a much better quality than jewelry
made today.
“Collectible jewelry has better
quality. The material is better and so
is the craftsmanship. A lot is hand
made,” he said.
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