By Melissa Wagoner
Clothing doesn’t have to be new to be trendy. In fact, for Beth Lau – whose affection for thrifted and vintage clothing goes all the way back to her childhood as one of 10 siblings in love with classic TV – preworn is almost always better.
“Ever since my early teens I was always drawn to vintage stores,” she said, describing her methods for obtaining clothing as a mixture of second-hand shopping, bartering and gifting that allows her to not only cultivate a unique look but to do so on a budget without ever leaving her hometown of Silverton.
“There are a lot of people who don’t want to venture out of town,” she pointed out. “And we have a lot of great options here.”
Like Somewhere in Time Resale and Collectibles, which opened in 2016.
“There is a wide variety of people who shop us…” owner Robin Webb said of the store’s clientele, which not only ranges in age, but includes tourists as well as locals.
“We get a lot of visitors and repeat customers from the Portland area,” she said. “I believe we are much cheaper than they find in the PDX area.”
And with a better selection than most chain stores.
“[We] have a better selection as it’s a wider variety of items than ten specific tops in five sizes each,” Webb said. “Here, no two items are the same.”
It’s a variety that appeals to shoppers like Lau, who uses her style to stand out from the crowd.
“Thrifting is fun because you don’t have to follow the fashion of the day,” she said. “And thrifting and repurposing helps me lessen my impact on the planet.”
It’s a message she hopes to pass on to her children.
“[Y]ou don’t need the latest and greatest thing…” she said. “I think that’s overvalued in our throw-away society. And there’s something special about second-hand. People snoot at it because we’re fed that new is what you need but when you get past the corporate you get to where customizing is more important than what you’re told to wear.”
And customizing doesn’t have to be hard.
“You don’t have to do it well to have it look good,” Lau – who uses the basic sewing skills she learned from her great grandmother to alter the size or silhouette of garments – said. “If it’s not the style you want, modify it at home.”
It’s a method long-time thrift shopper, Shelby Keys, also employs.
“I can alter things to be what I want, whether it is a t-shirt I make, a tank top, a sueded skirt I give some fringe to, or an article of clothing I distress on my own,” Keys said. She was introduced to thrift shopping by her mom and grandma. “The possibilities are endless. Over the past year I remodeled and redecorated my entire home, a very large portion of my decor came from thrifting. Instead of endlessly looking for the exact item… you can explore the shops and look for shapes, colors, a basic frame and then paint or add to it however you want.”
But not everything needs alteration. Vintage clothing, for example, is most often kept intact, prized as a snapshot from another time.
“With vintage you’re paying for period clothes of good quality,” Lau said of the contrast between items found in a thrift shop versus those found in a vintage boutique. “And you’re going to treat them differently.”
It’s the difference between purchasing a genuine Elvis Costello T-shirt from the 1970s and a much cheaper knock-off originating in a store like Target, Ross Kuhn, owner of Daylight Vintage in Silverton, explained.
“If it’s a historical thing it’s always going to have value. If you buy the original thing the value is just going to go up.”
And then there is the history itself.
“Old things have a feeling,” Kuhn said, “like when something’s been worn and used over and over, there’s a feeling about it.”
“You can imagine all kinds of stories,” Lau agreed. “That’s where the sentimental impact shines for vintage clothing. I’ll wear a 1940s dress and think, someone could have received their loved ones back from war or worn this to prom.”
But the uniqueness of the garments can also have downsides, especially when it comes to shopping for items of a specific color, style or size.
“Sizing is always tough,” Keys said, “it’s changed so much through the years.”
But, as with most clothing stores, that’s where the store owner can be of assistance.
“Always ask the person up front if they know where, or if, [they] carry what you’re looking for…” Debbie Turner suggested. She’s owned the thrift store Deb’s Attic in Stayton since 2004.
Often, the items in the store were hand-picked.
“I mostly purchase… from private sales, yard sales and other stores…” Turner said. “I also receive donations here and there that help refine what I carry.”
It’s a variety that many customers find astonishing – and occasionally overwhelming.
“It’s hard not to get overwhelmed,” Lau admitted. “So, typically I limit myself to one color for the day. Or if I’m looking for a special occasion, I look specifically for a style. But if it’s unique, I pick it up, even if I end up giving it to someone else.”
Like the pair of 1970s crushed velvet pants she found on sale that, although they weren’t in her size, ended up being perfect for her daughter.
“Everything is a treasure to someone,” Turner said. It just might take some looking to find that one, special thing.
Thrift and vintage shopping options
Daylight Vintage 106 S. First St., Silverton
Deb’s Attic 611 N. First St., Stayton
Goodwill 601 N. Water St., Silverton
Somewhere in Time Resale and Collectibles 111 Fiske St., Silverton
