Buying Vintage Clothing in Nashville

Music City is Mecca for Vintage Fashions

Sep 23, 2009

Nashville, Tenn., has developed an underground reputation as one of the best cities in the country for vintage clothing shopping for both men and women.

Buying both men’s and women’s vintage clothes has gone far beyond browsing Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. It has become a major shopping trend. In nearly every city in the United States, consignment and used clothing stores have sprung up to cater to the retro fashion market.

Nashville has dozens of vintage clothing stores, where designer suits and spangled Western shirts can be bought for a song by those patient enough to click through the racks in crowded little shops.

It’s not surprising the market for vintage clothes has found fertile soil in Nashville. The music industry attracts both wealthy musicians who blow through outfits like a tornado and aspiring songwriters and musicians who want to look ultra cool on the cheap.

But in Nashville, the grande dame of all vintage clothing stores is Ladies of Charity (2216 State St., 615-327-3453), a venerable consignment store where the wealthy society ladies of Belle Meade drop off their designer gowns and alligator bags to resell for charity.

Catering to the urban hipster crowd are vintage clothing stores like East Nashville’s Hip Zipper (1008 Forrest Ave., 615-228-1942), which carries retro wear from biker jackets to bellbottoms along with 1940s sundresses, ball gowns and a wide selection of men’s clothing. Hip Zipper was ranked Best Vintage Clothing store in Nashville in 2009 by readers of the Nashville Scene alternative newspaper.

Vintage Fashion Bargains in Nashville’s 8th Avenue Antiques District

At Boomerang Finer Thrift (2207 8th Ave. S, 615-385-1004) the vintage clothing bargain hunter descends a tiny spiral staircase to a low-ceiling, dimly lit space filled with a top collection of ladies vintage clothing. Guys can also find ultra hip pearl button Western shirts for around $15. Upstairs the shop offers newer used clothing in excellent condition along with household decorations, ranging from vintage luggage to kitschy kitchen items.

Also in the heart of Nashville’s 8th Avenue antique district is Pre To Post Modern (2110 8th Ave. S, 615-292-1958), a funky home design mall that includes vintage clothing for men and women along with a wide variety of retro furniture and decorative items.

Best Vintage Clothing in Nashville

For a long weekend’s shopping, here’s a list of more vintage clothing shops in Nashville:

The copyright of the article Buying Vintage Clothing in Nashville in Women’s Fashion is owned by Lyda Phillips. Permission to republish Buying Vintage Clothing in Nashville in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.