About Place
Coming Up Vintage
Three gems across the country to satisfy
your deepest vintage cravings.
TEXT BY NOELANI PITERS
Pretty Parlor
Pretty Parlor, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood,
charms instantly with its pink ombre walls, dreamy boudoir aesthetic, and shop cat, Sophia. A rainbow of petticoats and parasols
hang from the ceiling beside paper lanterns and chandeliers. It
is a retro paradise with swingy flapper dresses and fifties chiffon frocks that float across racks. Beaded minaudières and tiers
of costume jewelry shimmer. Owner Anna Lange takes decade
dressing to a new level, curating an immaculate and extensive
assortment of vintage, new, and locally designed fashions.
If you’re seeking a one-stop shop for head-to-toe vintage
looks, you’ve found it. Prices for vintage pieces start at a reasonable twenty-four dollars, providing the opportunity for
shoppers to guiltlessly snatch every rhinestone headpiece and
dress that they desire. Browse the colorful displays of authentic clothing and accessories from the twenties onward. For a
remix on old classics, look for House of Pretty Parlor, Lange’s
label of repurposed garments à la Pretty in Pink. The shop sells
vintage reproduction from brands like Bettie Page and Trashy
Diva, and some Seattle talent, including Frankie Four and Ames
Bros. There’s also a “Manland” section for dapper gentlemen,
with casual printed shirts and crisp suits perfect for picnics
and Gatsby parties, respectively. Getting hitched soon? Pretty
Parlor’s Bridal Boutique has its own storefront right around the
corner and offers vintage gowns, veils, and all the trimmings.
This year, Pretty Parlor celebrates fourteen years of glitz
and glamour and to-die-for pieces, like the triple-layered silk
chiffon dress that was recently scooped up by actress Catherine
Keener. “It was just beautiful,” says Lange of the dress. We can
only imagine.
119 Summit Ave. E., Seattle, WA 98102
prettyparlor.com
18
Afterlife
San Francisco’s Mission district is home to many a vintage shop,
but Afterlife Boutique brings a certain je ne sais quoi to its home
on the bustling Valencia Street. An old American flag hangs
near the cash register by an old Evel Knievel pinball machine.
Rainbow serapes for sale perch on the edges of industrial fixtures. A rusting sign reads “Prescriptions” and “Drugs.”
Afterlife is a slick hotspot for cool-kid vintage, specializing
in rare, collectible t-shirts. The store sells a variety of goods for
men and women, like tooled leather purses, Converse sneakers, and gently worn lace-up boots, but t-shirts are the name of
the game here. The wall is adorned with the most coveted of
band tees: crewnecks, raglans, and tanks sport the likes of the
Grateful Dead, Nirvana, The Clash, The Beatles, Siouxsie and
the Banshees, and Run DMC. Collectible tees can skyrocket into
the triple digits, but much of Afterlife’s merchandise remains
under the hundred-dollar mark. The shop also carries new costume jewelry, eyewear, and Cheap Monday jeans to round out
their offerings.
Brother and sister team Danielle and Luke Teller opened
Afterlife in 2010, after having collected rock concert tees during their school days. Their medley of low-to-high priced items
allows casual shoppers to always purchase what they unearth,
while vintage aficionados can consistently score lifetime pieces.
Each tee is lovingly washed before it’s put out on the sales floor,
proving that Afterlife goes the extra mile to ensure those flea
market finds are treated with extra care. That care translates to
a shop of unexpected treasures, and customers will fall in love
again and again with the passion that accompanies the cult
of vintage.
988 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
afterlifeboutique.com