Vintage Clothing Shops Help Set Fashion Trend
For fashion individualists who reject mall modes and haute couture dictates, San Gabriel Valley vintage clothing shops provide a reliable cache of one-of-a-kind apparel and accessories.
A good place to begin an old-time clothing expedition is Lulu’s Vintage Finery, located on Holly Street in Old Pasadena, down the way from a handful of other vintage clothing, antique and jewelry stores housed in historic buildings.
“My clients are unique people who want to be special and dress creatively,” said Jim Berg, 44, of San Gabriel, who has owned Lulu’s for three years. “They’re musicians, artists, photographers and actors.”
Berg said one customer, the only woman executive on a board of directors, comes into his shop whenever the stress of the corporate world gets to her. “She likes to play dress up,” Berg said, motioning to the collection of restored 1920s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s fashions that jam his sales racks.
“This is a fun place,” he said. “You come in here and you feel happy.”
Silk Jacquard ties from the ‘40s, Hawaiian-print rayon shirts, sweeping 1930s velvet evening gowns and even polyester leisure suits with bell-bottoms are purchased by collectors as well as everyday customers. Hollywood costumers scour vintage shops for period apparel, store owners said.
“The awareness level of vintage clothing has skyrocketed, and it’s getting hotter by the day,” Berg said.
Carie Denny, the owner of Pok-A-Dots in Arcadia, said the resurgence of vintage clothing has made it harder to find items in good condition. “People are holding onto their old things more now because they realize there’s some value in them,” she said.
Still, for those with a good eye and a sense of adventure, vintage clothing is a fun and affordable option.
Judy Miller, a 44-year-old paralegal, said she frequently shops in the Pasadena vintage clothing stores. She was introduced to vintage clothing seven years ago by a friend.
“I had no idea that resale shops existed before, but I’ve become fascinated with it--the history, the train of thought of the designers,” she said. “Now I have two closets full of clothes dating back to the early 1900s.”
Another Lulu’s customer, Margaux Mirkin, is a serious collector, designer and restorer of vintage clothing. Berg keeps Mirkin’s name on file and notifies her if he comes across a piece he thinks would fit into her extensive collection.
“I’m lucky enough to find people who respect what I buy. When people send Jim stuff and he sees something I want, he calls me immediately,” Mirkin said. She once purchased a 1900 riding habit that Berg had obtained at a sale in Paris.
Miller, who loves Lilli Ann label suits from the ‘40s, said she pays a third to one half of what she would pay for a business wardrobe if she bought new clothes. “I hardly ever wear anything new, except that I might combine a vintage suit with a new blouse,” she said.
The combinations are head-turners, she said. “People stare at me. They’re constantly asking where I get my clothes.”
Miller said she recently attended a performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” wearing a 1950 red satin beaded gown and full-length red velvet gloves. The dress, which she estimated would cost $500 if made today, cost her $100 at Lulu’s.
That combination--glamour plus relatively low prices--accounts for much of the allure of vintage shopping. A recent survey of local shops turned up a number of fashion finds.
Georgene’s Antiques and Collectibles in Old Pasadena carries a flapper look with a beaded, crepe de Chine dress in coral for $125, a beaded cloche for $25, a short beaver jacket for $30 and a beaded bag for $10.
A client giving a mystery party might come to Pok-A-Dots and pick up an intriguing Victorian-era, wool pleated skirt and jacket at $55, a straw hat to complement it at $35 and an ankle-length wool cape, with clasp at the neck, for $85.
A Navy jacket, to go with jeans, costs $65 at Rosy Memories in Old Pasadena and can be decorated with World War II-era sweetheart pins and lockets from $15 to $45. The same store also carries a $95 black crocheted dress from the 1920s with orange trim at the collar, sleeves and hem. It could be accented with a necklace of orange Bakelite beads, $35, and matching earrings, $20.
For an elegant occasion, Lulu’s stocks glamorous ball gowns, feather boas and Eisenberg costume jewelry. An eggshell ribbon lace gown with flared hem sells for $145 and can be teamed with gauntlet-style, applique gloves and a cotton turban, $24 for both, and faux pearl necklace and brooch for $30 the set.
For a unique on-the-job look, Lulu’s has a ‘50s wool suit with peplum waist and checkerboard piping for $135, a saucer hat for $40 and an alligator box purse and open-toed, sling back shoes for $35.
A real bargain-hunter should not miss a stop at Carodin’s Wardrobe on Fair Oaks Avenue, owned since 1953 by Caroline Berry, 74, and her brother, Rudy Truscott, 64. The prices are some of the lowest around.
For a ‘50s fete, try a silk organza, coffee-colored party dress with fitted waist and black leopard spots for $25, a hand-knit short wool jacket trimmed with pearls and sequins for $10, black lace-up shoes starting at $5, crocheted gloves, $8, and pillbox hat for $5. Just for fun, don a pair of cat’s-eye glasses, priced from $5 to $25, to finish off the ensemble.
There tends to be a more limited selection of men’s vintage clothing. “They wear it until it falls apart and then they wear it again,” Berg said.
But for dedicated shoppers, “retro” menswear is also available locally.
Lulu’s offers an ensemble that includes a $45 creme-colored rayon shirt, a brocade tuxedo vest with shawl collar for $65, 1950s-style double-pleated wool slacks for $52, and a $12 bolo tie with a large beige stone.
A more casual occasion might call for a royal blue gabardine jacket for $75, wool-rayon slacks with an Ivy League belt for $52, a $35 wine-colored gabardine shirt and $18 striped suspenders, also from Lulu’s.
Denny said young men are coming in to Pok-A-Dots to rediscover the 1960s.
She carries a $55 suede vest with long fringe, $22 suede, knee-high moccasins and love beads from $6 to $12. For $7 more, a nostalgic shopper could complete the look with round, wire-framed glasses--embossed with a peace sign.
WHERE TO FIND VINTAGE CLOTHES
Carodin’s Wardrobe, 19 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Georgene’s Antiques and Collectibles, 95 N. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lulu’s Vintage Finery, 2 E. Holly St., Pasadena. Daily, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Pok-A-Dots, 1029 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Rosy Memories, 21 E. Holly St., Pasadena. Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Vintage clothing fanciers also find bargains at local flea markets, including:
Pasadena City College Flea Market, the first Sunday of each month from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the campus on Hill Avenue between Colorado and Del Mar boulevards.
Rose Bowl Flea Market, the second Sunday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.
