Boston's best: Vintage stores
Where to score retro gems
Oona’s
Having recently acquired a new owner and a re-vamped interior, Oona’s is regaining its former place as one of the best vintage stores in Boston. The unfortunate (and inaccurate) label of a “costume shop” has hurt Oona’s in the past, but another visit will show former nonbelievers that some serious changes have been made. The feel is more Victorian dressing room than Halloween party store. The update is most evident in the men’s section, which has traded in its printed cowboy hats and fake mustaches for vintage Western shirts and Levis 501s. As far as the women’s section goes, the clothes are both affordable (starting at $30 for dresses and $20 for blouses) and beautiful. Everything in the store is thoughtfully handpicked—so you won’t be wasting time rifling through extra-large polyester shift dresses and little league T-shirts. 1210 Massachusetts Ave, Harvard Square, Cambridge (617-491-2654)
Café Society
One of Boston’s best and most mysterious vintage stores, Café Society is quietly situated just off the Brookline Village T stop. The only indications of the shop’s existence are the expertly-styled window scenes and printed sign advertising their odd hours (Mon-Wed, Sun 2-6pm). The small space is packed with treasures, but never cluttered. The staff is more than happy to help you with sizing, which can often be a tricky thing with vintage clothing. Dresses start around $40 and range from slinky, flapper-era numbers to day-glo 1960s pieces. They also have an extensive collection of vintage costume jewelry and hats, which start at around $10. 131 Cypress St, Brookline Village (617-738-7186, cafesocietystore.com)
Vintage Revenge
Vintage Revenge is the new kid on the Cambridge-area vintage block. Situated in the heavily trafficked section of Mass Ave. connecting Central and Harvard Squares, the shop takes advantage of its location by filling two levels of floor-to-ceiling windows with perfectly styled seasonal displays. The store is much bigger than it looks from the outside, stretching backwards further than seems possible. But the owner, Denise, has set up the shop for ease of use: clothing is organized by gender and era on well-labeled racks. The collection is impeccably edited and of the utmost quality, but the store’s most impressive feature is the selection of vintage denim. Just let Denise know what you’re looking for, and you’re bound to find it here. 1105 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge (617-498-0999, vintagerevenge.net)
Poor Little Rich Girl
While the fabled Davis Square flagship has shuttered, Poor Little Rich Girl is still well represented with stores in Union Square, Inman Square, and on Newbury Street. Heading into a small, packed shop can be intimidating, especially for vintage virgins, but PLRG softens the time warp-y blow with a large selection of consignment wares (read: labels you’ll recognize) and pieces from local designers. The stores have a more boutique-like feel than your average straight-up vintage haven. Prices are reasonable and they have a great collection of accessories and knick-knacks that pull double duty in the store as decorations and merchandise. 374 Somerville Avenue, Somerville (617-684-0157); 121 Hampshire St, Inman Square, Cambridge (617-873-0809); 166 Newbury St, Back Bay, Boston (617-425-4874, shoppoorlittlerichgirl.com)
Raspberry Beret
Vintage and consignment shopping can be kind of a crapshoot, but when you score something amazing it makes it all the more exciting. Sourcing your wares from local consigners makes for some unreliable merchandising, which is why Raspberry Beret hasn’t had as much press as the higher profile vintage stores around town. Their vintage clothing selection is just getting off the ground, but their accessories and shoes are thriving—and cheap! The shop boasts an impressive stock of lockets, costume jewelry and vintage heels as well as hats of all sizes, shapes and colors. There’s also an intimidatingly large collection of scarves. 1704 Massachusetts Ave, Porter Square, Cambridge (617-354-3700, raspberryberet.us)
Bobby from Boston
Satisfying the lackluster amount of quality men’s vintage in town is Bobby from Boston. The interior is decked out in dark woods with vintage paraphernalia hidden in every nook and cranny, making you feel more like you’re in someone’s well-stocked walk-in closet than in a store. If you know what you’re looking for—and you’re lucky—Bobby himself will sometimes let you in on his secret. Guys can find pretty much every kind of suit from the wide reaches of eras deemed properly “vintage.” The women’s section is small, but its few items are beautiful and in perfect condition. Bobby’s also gets bragging rights for what could be the most comprehensive collection of Western shirts in the Northeast—there’re picks for haughty gunslingers, subtle hipsters and everyone in between. The merchandise might be little pricey, but Bobby has outfitted the casts of many a period film shot around these parts—and that’s gotta count for something. 19 Thayer St, South End, Boston (617-423-9299)
40 South Street
The most varied and laid-back of Boston’s local thrift stores is 40 South Street (née Gumshoe). Run by local rock legend Hilken Mancini, it walks the line between vintage and thrift so adeptly, you’d be hard pressed to know there was ever a line there to begin with. You can find clothing-era representation from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, and all of it is high quality, clean, and moderately priced. If you’re looking for a plaid shirt or a pair of jeans, then you have definitely come to the right place—their selection is almost overwhelming, but in the best way possible. 40 South St, Jamaica Plain (617-522-5066, fortysouthst.com)
Artifaktori
Comfortably perched between casual and high end, Artifaktori is a little store that packs a big punch. The cozy, unassuming atmosphere gives the boutique some hidden-gem cache, despite the throngs of college students streaming in and out of the nearby Davis Square T stop. Accessories and dresses are pretty much as far as the stock goes in terms of wearable vintage. What really shine here are the myriad of vintage household items and random tchotchkes covering every available surface. This is true vintage, most items ranging in origin from the 1950s to the 1970s, and handpicked to be attractive to even the pickiest of retro aficionados. The shop girls have also obviously been handpicked, exuding the casual vintage beauty that is implicit to such a store. 22 College Ave, Davis Square, Somerville (617-776-3708, artifaktori.blogspot.com)
