Reuse - Recycle - Reduce

A Deep Love For Old Sh*t

Words By: Milli Dawson

My love for vintage goods started with my Grandmother. I spent a Summer in Kansas with her and every day I begged to look through her Mother’s closet to look at all of her vintage suits from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. I loved looking at my Grandmother’s handkerchiefs, family heirlooms, and her old glasses. I found a deep love for old sh*t.

From there, my mother had to tolerate taking me to Bart’s Flea Market in Cheyenne so I could dig for hours. I looked for coffee table books, odd styling props, art, and more. The hunt was never-ending and extremely addicting. My fav Auntie gave me all of her vintage shoe collection —  little kitten heels from the 60s, 70s, etc.

I have acquired quite a collection of vintage and pre-owned goodies. Clothes, books, art, furniture, shoes, the list goes on and on. My home is most likely 90% used and vintage pieces I found on Facebook marketplace or have been lucky enough to inherit.

Where does this obsession for vintage goods come from? I can split this obsession into two categories. One, I love the “hunt’. I Spy was my favorite game as a child and I think it shows. Finding a gem in a room full of junk is so rewarding. Two, I crave nostalgia. In a world full of white walls, tech, and box cars, I crave film photos, beautiful colors, good music, well-made clothes, and unique items that catch my eye. I think a lot of people in my generation could relate. We feel like we missed out on “the good ol’ days” and I think this is why our admiration for vintage goodies comes into play.

There is so much good in the new too. Amazing clothing and furniture designers and artists do exist, they are the creators of “Future Vintage”. The importance of making high-quality, special pieces that can be future vintage is high. In a fas- paced, wasteful world, it is arguably more important now than ever before. We thank our friends who find good things for us (Spaghetti Westernish, Womenfolk, & Home Again). Stay thrifty, and cherish your great vintage goods.

 

An Individual Statement

Words By: Arcy Hawks

By nature, I am not a thrifter. I don’t like to dig, and I get itchy if something is too dusty. On that note, I do love Antique stores. They seem better curated and less messy or dusty. 

Thrifting or vintage shopping is not a new trend. It seems that most young people have gone thrifting at some point. Most thrift store clothing can add to a fashion-conscious person’s wardrobe, most because of economic factors and some because of individuality. The same can be said for furniture. The flea market coffee table or chest of drawers for your college apartment is a prerequisite for campus life. I hear that in New York, the trash some people leave has led to amazing mid-century scores.

As a young person living in Texas, we always visited two thrift stores. They had some great things, and I still have a wool cardigan with a hand-beaded design. As I got older, I didn’t have much need for that, but I loved finding great furniture pieces. As a young couple starting to furnish a home, it can get expensive. I had great pieces handed down to us from my mother-in-law, but I wanted to find my own style.

Luckily, a new Home Again shop moved into town, and my treasure hunting began. I have found some great pieces there, including a vintage Laverne Lily chair from circa 1950, an old English pine table, a set of leather and wood barstools, and a great sideboard. I have also found that shopping for vintage clothing to be a better experience.  There are so many amazing shops these days that are curating collections.  We have a great one here in Womenfolk.  But my favorite shop is Desert Vintage in New York. I have two terrific pieces—an old YSL silk blouse and a 60’s dress that is perfection.  I recently found a Max Mara tweed skirt and a Calvin Klien linen blazer in New York. These pieces add individuality and something you know no one else will have. I also have found that older pieces, whether it’s furniture or clothing, are of better quality.  Luxury fashion has become tired, and the push for higher margins comes at the expense of quality.  If it’s cheaper to make, there’s more money to be made.  So it is possible that new YSL or Chanel items have been made with no concerns any longer for the esteemed craftsmanship of the past.  This may explain the drive for vintage. 

I guess this is the exciting thing about shopping for vintage and reusing old pieces: It’s such an individual statement and not cookie-cutter. It’s not fast fashion, it’s not in every shop, and it’s an investment. We are here for it, and our love of timeless old things grows.

 

 

Milli Dawson: What is your personal daily uniform?

Charlotte Alimanestianu: Ugh, it is not glam! Most days, I work from home and wear comfortable clothing. I am a begrudging fan of the Zoom uniform: put together on top, cozy pants on the bottom. This almost always consists of a t-shirt and a sweater. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll layer a collared shirt under a sweater. My daily necklace is a vintage gold + citrine Chanel flower necklace that I got for a steal when I worked at Womenfolk. It’s my most prized possession!

Most of my sweaters are Babaa (investment pieces but so worth it and there is a great resale market) or Ralph Lauren cableknits (I’ve found all of these secondhand) because they are comfortable and look polished. I also found the most amazing vintage St. James striped shirt in France last year, which I’ve been wearing a lot as we transition into spring.

The silver lining of not getting fully dressed all the time is that, when I do get dressed, I’m excited and energized to craft an outfit. This year I’ve been into monochrome outfits (all denim, all brown, etc) broken up with fun accessories (belts, bags, jewelry) and statement shoes. My personal favorite is an all white or cream outfit with pops of color from accessories. Winter whites always!

MD: What is your thrift routine? Do you search for specific things or do good things randomly come as you search?

CA: This won’t come as a surprise to many, but I adore Browse & Buy (and all the incredible people that work there) in Jackson. I try to visit a few times a week! It’s definitely a commitment, but it’s rare if I don’t leave without a gem or two (or ten). I rarely visit with an agenda and love to let inspiration come from the current selection. That said, I have been trying to be more intentional with what I source, especially with fabrics. Natural fibers - cotton, wool, silk, linen - are the best. My litmus test is “would I leave the store wearing this piece?”. If the answer is no, I leave it for someone else to love. Jackson only has one thrift store, so I frequently source online and when I travel. eBay is the best, but I also love Depop. The Depop algorithm is insane -- I could peruse my discover page for hours! GEM is a great platform that lets you search for specific pieces across most resale/secondhand platforms. Highly recommend if you know exactly what you’re looking for!

MD: What is your favorite thrift find?

CA: I love this question!! I have found a lot of incredible pieces but a few stand out: a vintage Hudson’s Bay bomber with the classic stripe pattern, a Rocky Mountain Featherbed vest (at Browser!), a Ralph Lauren Country wool jacket, and a basically new KHAITE dress. All of these pieces were under $20 -- the beauty of shopping secondhand!

MD: What was the inspiration for starting Spaghetti Westernish?

CA: My love of fashion solidified when I interned at J.Crew in NYC for two summers in college. Side note, I’m obsessed with Olympia Gayot, J.Crew’s current Womenswear Director. She’s a genius! When I first moved to Jackson, I worked at Womenfolk for a year and a half. I walked into the store my first weekend in town and instantly fell in love with the curation and the vision. Plus, Greer and Amberley are two of the most stylish women I know!

I left Womenfolk in 2021 to work at an eCommerce startup and really missed the creative outlet that working with secondhand + vintage clothes provided. I had been buying most of my clothing secondhand and realized that I loved the hunt and curation aspect of secondhand shopping. In December 2022, I approached Abby at Midnight Lunch (another store you have to check out!) about doing a vintage pop-up. She said yes and the rest is history!

About the name -- Spaghetti Westerns are a subgenre of western movies filmed in Europe, almost always in Italy, hence the “spaghetti’’ reference. They are kitschy, fun, and outlandish! As a native New Yorker living in Jackson, Spaghetti Westernish felt like a great name to encapsulate what inspires me - high and low, western and coastal, sequins and suede, and the “ish” for everything in between.

MD: Who is your ideal client?

CA: Anyone and everyone! I know that vintage can be inaccessible with sizing and am actively working to be more inclusive in my size options.