Photograph by Sarah McCosham
In the last year I’ve honed my 40-something hobbies: my vinyl collection is steadily growing and I just refinished my first two pieces of mid-century furniture. But despite my love for old things, vintage clothing was a frontier I’d never considered.
To be clear, I wanted to be a vintage clothes person—I just didn’t know what that would look like for me. Did I need to get all my clothes vintage? This made me nervous, because I do have certain modern brands that I favor and also, I have a daily yoga practice that I would rather not show up for wearing gently worn ’80s spandex.
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
This “all or nothing” mindset was the obstacle to overcome, so naturally, I consulted Instagram. Over the last few months I’ve started following style accounts with cool people who have shown me that fashion does not have to be all of nothing. I saw really cool people styling an ’80s Bengals sweatshirt with athleisure leggings or finding vintage Levi’s to wear with a T-shirt from Target. The more I saw what other people were finding at vintage stores, the more I wanted in.
It was with this curiosity that I arrived in Covington one Friday afternoon, though I was not there for clothes. I’d been wanting to check out a certain antique shop (Tesori!) for some time, and after a fruitful trip wherein I found two sets of retro holiday bulbs and a Currier and Ives serving plate, I grabbed a Diet Coke and decided to take the long way home, winding through the streets of Covington and Newport en route to the Roebling (crossing that bridge is always a Moment). As it so happened, I passed a place called Hometown Vintage—the windows revealed retro decor that captured my attention. I parked the car to investigate, but quickly realized I’d arrived too early and it wasn’t yet open.
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
I decided to bide my time and wander a bit, and this is how I ended up across West Pike Street, several shops down, at Goods (which I discovered was the sibling store of Hometown Vintage! How cool.) The store’s display of old-school Reds and Bengals apparel beckoned, and I soon found myself inside, slowly browsing racks of just-organized-enough clothes that reminded me of my childhood. I saw denim dresses akin to what I wore in the mid-’90s; printed sweaters similar to things my mom wore in the ’80s; Levi’s straight from my dad’s collection (he still wears many of these jeans today). I ended up purchasing a heart print sweater for Mary and a cozy button-down shirt I plan to wear with leggings this fall.
Just like antique furniture, vintage clothing tells a story. These are items that have been in circulation for years—decades—and I love knowing that the clothing I’m wearing has lived. In addition to being easy on the wallet (both items cost less than $50), vintage shopping is easier on the planet. It’s the very definition of sustainability and also, patronizing vintage stores like Goods and Hometown Vintage is a way of supporting small businesses and the local economy while also leveling up your wardrobe.
The older I get the more comfortable I feel in my own skin and the more confident I am in my own style. I’ve also let go of the “all of nothing” mindset; my wardrobe consists of new and old, and I’m excited to slowly add more of the latter into the mix. Maybe not ’80s spandex, but who knows.
Goods, 33 W. Pike St., Covington
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