What’s old is new (or should we say, hot) yet again. Literally. The vintage and secondhand movement is still going strong, as evidenced by the plethora of vintage and antique boutiques that fill our shopping districts. While scouring for vintage may not be a new trend, the way we are shopping for it is.
In 2012 alone, Des Moines has seen a heaping handful of vintage and antique boutiques open, selling everything from scuffed cowboy boots to old road signs. The desire for unique and old clothes and wares has been a global phenomenon for decades, and business owners have stepped up to make obtaining those fringed lamps and denim jackets easier than ever.
Silo Antiques, owned by Kasey and Jordana Henke, opened on East Fifth Street in the East Village this summer, and offers vintage and antique furniture and home accessories. North a block on Grand Avenue, Porch Light Antiques continues to sell a variety of pottery, signage and other picked goods. Other staples, like West End Architectural Salvage, Vitae, Found Things and The Bargain Basket, continue to sell old and re-purposed goods at lightning speed.
Hill Vintage & Knits, which opened earlier this year, started out of a traveling trailer named “Heidi.” We loved it. When the popularity of the trailer outgrew its confines, co-owners Jessica Miller and Erica Carnes opened a storefront in the heart of the East Village, selling old clothing in great condition that spans decades (plus yarn and notions, too).
These boutiques have made it easy for those who want to wear and live in vintage — but maybe don’t want to spend the time digging for it — to pick it up in a snap. And since we have so many other things to do (concerts, art events, fashion shows, fundraisers), making our love of vintage easily accessible is a perfect fit.
