If the over-crowded, Christmas song infused Mall scene is too much for you this season, but you still want some trendy clothing to compliment your winter wardrobe, there is still hope. Here are three shops in downtown Portland that can meet your vintage style clothing needs without making you take out another loan.
Find
16 Free Street
207-699-4285
Find is an affordably-priced cozy vintage shop, which just opened this past August in Arabica Coffee’s old location on Free Street.
The small space is full of round racks and old bookshelves displaying a wide variety of clothing, shoes and jewelry for both men and women. The Portland Pins vending machine has even found a new home next to the Ms. Pac-Man arcade game near the store’s dressing room.
Laura Ker, a former art student, runs the place and caters to “anyone with a creative sense of fashion who wants to mix vintage and modern clothing.” Ker buys the clothing directly from local people who bring in things they’d like to sell. If you have things you’d like to bring in, she suggests you call ahead as she isn’t always buying.
Good Cause
16 Forest Avenue
207-772-4903
Want to help the community while you shop? Check out Good Cause, a thrift shop a couple blocks from the Portland campus. They donates their proceeds to a number of local do-gooders including soup kitchens and the financial aid program at the Catherine McAuley High School.
Since their inventory comes entirely from donations, it is constantly changing and includes everything from clothing to figurines to books, all ranging from $1 to $50.
The shop is run by the Sisters of Mercy, an international Catholic order dedicated to social service. “We cater to anyone who comes in here,” says manager Sister Mary Quinn, “from those who have much to those who have little.”
Material Objects
500 Congress Street
207-774-1241
Recently voted the “Best Thrift and Vintage Shop” in the Portland Phoenix’s annual poll, Material Objects has been one of the city’s hippest destinations since 1979.
The shop has a welcoming vibe and carries vintage, new, and locally made clothing for both men and women. Around three quarters of the inventory is on consignment, including everything from the $12 jeans at the front of the store to the $100 vintage jackets toward the back.
“Shopping should be fun,” says store manager Jennifer Rockwell, “I like to think of it as more of a coffee shop than a clothing store—people can come in and spend all day here.”