Cleveland Vintage is Not Dead

For me, thrift shopping has always been a surefire way to make a whole afternoon feel like a few minutes. 

Goodwills, Value Worlds and Salvation Armies create an even playing field for shoppers. There is a random distribution of clothing, all arranged on squeaky plastic hangers in a stale-smelling room with headache-inducing fluorescent lights. Burberry coats and Coach bags are nestled in with Wet Seal jackets and unbranded Amazon clutches. Unlike at a mall store, thrift stores aren’t trying to sell us trends. We get to walk in, sift through, and decide for ourselves what strikes our fancy. A lot of the times, what ends up standing out to me is vintage clothing. The fiber content is better, the silhouettes are more classic, and they’re (virtually) one-of-a-kind. 

For the longest time, I thought I was alone in this fascination. I knew vintage collectors and sellers were big in L.A. and New York City, but not around here. Not in Cleveland. I would scour Google for “vintage stores in Cleveland”, but all I’d have to show for it was a list including the now-closed Shaker Square Goodwill and Plato’s Closet. 

At some point, I followed someone on Instagram that led me to what I think of as Cleveland’s “underground vintage scene”. I found out that Cleveland was, in fact, home to numerous vintage collectors and vendors, many of whom would show up at flea-market-type events or even set up racks at brick-and-mortar locations. The more of these vintage collectors I followed on Instagram, the more collectors, stores, and events I found. 

Discovering that I wasn’t the only Clevelander who would drool over a pair of 1980s Levi’s 501’s– realizing that other people near me held the same interests as me– made me fall in love with the place I’ve called home for so many years.

Of course, “vintage clothing” is a hugely unspecific umbrella term– it could mean a dress from the 1990’s or a niche undergarment from the 1920’s. So, while I take an interest in styles from the later eras of the 20th century, others find themselves inspired by older styles. Many of the secondhand stores in Cleveland beautifully cater to some of these older, less subtle and inspiringly tchotchke styles, but through trial and error, I have narrowed down a list of vintage stores that cater to the side of me that wants to find pieces that are timeless, refined and chic. 

slow union on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland’s Gordon Square Arts District

Vintage collectors Olivia of Ode Vintage, Rochelle of Gypsy Moth Vintage, and Jill of IF Found Vintage share this space in the heart of Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. It’s fairly small, but racks are packed and you’re sure to need at least an hour or two to go through everything. The space is beautifully set up, and in between racks of clothes are cowboy boots, sandals, sunglasses, jewelry, homewares and other artfully picked knick-knacks, ensuring that even if you leave empty handed, the time will have been well spent. 

Rose Parlor on Lorain Avenue, just outside of Ohio City 

Although unassuming from the outside, Rose Parlor’s space has been beautifully utilized to showcase its racks of neutral-colored basics among hand-picked leather goods, groovy shades, gold jewelry and stuff of the like. Although prices can be on the steeper side for secondhand goods, the thoughtful curation creates a museum-like sightseeing experience that even a budget-friendly window shopper can look forward to. The back room features a fully equipped hair salon (and this girl can confirm that Gunny Hastings gives a killer curly-girl haircut), a space which doubles as a place for extra racks during Rose Parlor’s periodic vintage vendor events. 

All Things For You also on Lorain Avenue, slightly less outside of Ohio City

The first (and my personal favorite) floor of All Things For You has a wide selection of furniture and home wares. It can be hard for someone who isn’t actively in need of home decor to walk through these mouth-watering offerings, but nonetheless, I do it anyway in order to get to a tiny, can’t-be-more-than-10-by-10-foot room with one of my favorite selections of vintage belts, scarves, shoes, bags, and clothing. You are welcome to try on any articles that strike your fancy in their fitting room (and by fitting room, I mean bathroom). If you plan to conclude your shopping trip after sifting through this room, you won’t need to allot more than 30-60 minutes at this stop. However, if you are really in the mood to dig, check out their basement for more than 30 vendors’ worth of clothes and what can best be described as “things” because no other term is general enough to encompass the artifacts you might find down there.

Uncover Vintage on Madison Avenue in Lakewood

Whenever I stop into Uncover Vintage, it’s to check out the ever-present and ever-changing rack of vintage denim. Whatever size I end up being on a given day I find represented on this rack, and for a reasonable price. A pair of my favorite vintage Levi’s came from here, and the knowledge that there’s plenty more keeps me coming back. The rest of the store is dedicated to vintage knitwear, jackets, and lots of t-shirts. If I had ever thrown a football or been to a Cavs game, the store’s sports and pop culture apparel and goofy tees would surely be an object of my affection, but seeing how we can’t change our nature, I stick to the denim and am on my merry way. 

Try stopping in to one of these little oases next time you want a break from the mall, and give their Instagram pages a follow in order to be updated about special vendor events! Might even see me there.

Photos in this post are either taken by me or sourced from stores’ Instagram accounts.