When I was a little kid, I loved hiding in the clothing racks while my mom shopped. When I got older, I ended up flipping through racks at thrift stores all throughout high school. Thanks for teaching me the value of a good deal, Mom.
It’s a different game hunting through those thrift store racks today. Everyone is a reseller now, hoarding the best gear and flipping it online. There are still good scores to be had, but fewer and farther between.
That’s why the curation of the vintage store has become essential. It’s like a good playlist made by a friend who knows your musical taste or a personal recommendation from someone you trust of where to eat when you’re traveling.
It brings a human element to styling in a world where the algorithm wants to do all the work for you and often feels far away from what you’re actually looking for. On top of that, vintage clothing often comes from an era of better craftsmanship and helps avoid mindless consumption as mounds of fast-fashion scraps add to environmental decay.
And when you’re trying to be best dressed, it’s the right flash of personality to pair with whatever you’ve already got in your wardrobe — new, old, or whatever. Vintage, for me, has always been a good fit.
Emily Bernstein owns The Velvet Tower in Detroit’s West Village, where she offers vintage customer service to go with her vintage racks. Grab a drink at Two Birds bar next door and shop while you sip. You can even get measurements taken and come back a week later with an entire capsule collection selected for you based on your style and preferences.
Bernstein says it’s the “texture, patterns, and quality” that make vintage pieces stand above mass-market, big-box shopping.
“I want people to look special, feel special, and to be out and about getting compliments,” she says. “My perfect customer is someone who shops at the Gap or Macy’s. I can show them that they can get better quality for a lesser price and that someone else doesn’t have.”
The Velvet Tower is bohemian chic in its layout and feel; a vintage women’s Christian Dior blazer doesn’t live too far from an old-school band T-shirt from the 1970s. Each vintage shop owner usually brings their own sensibility to their field museum of fashion. Bernstein even has a “Narnia’s closet” display, where a massive wardrobe doorway leads you into a showroom.
There are plenty of other shops, too, if you’re looking for different styles and environments. Lost and Found Vintage in Royal Oak remains a gold standard with its thoughtful curation. Old Soul Vintage in Detroit’s Cass Corridor is all mod, rock ’n’ roll, and punk spunk. Nearby in Corktown, Sonic Juju offers a contemporary, artsy flair.
If you don’t feel like leaving the house at all, check out locally based online dealers like Sam Healy’s shop, Shortstop Sammy’s Vintage Closet, where every day brings another assortment of often-vintage sports gear sold directly through Instagram (he does offer private appointments in his showroom, too).
Going vintage won’t necessarily make you feel like a kid again, running through the racks of a department store while your mom shopped. But you might just find an article of clothing from your youth that looks better than ever on you today. Like getting reacquainted with an old friend.
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of In the Groove on 101.9 WDET, Detroit Public Radio (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).
This story originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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