Meet Velvet Castle Vintage, a Hatfield, Pa. vintage store that has been in business for eight years.
What attracted you to vintage? Buying it? Wearing it?
When I first started dating my husband he showed me the magic of thrifting and I naturally gravitated towards vintage because of the better quality of the garments. We both really love old stuff and it bloomed into this addiction of us going to every thrift store within a 50 mile radius of Philadelphia. We moved to Savannah GA and I started working at a Buy Sell Trade store that specializes in vintage and really started to fall in love by learning more about it. When we moved back to Philly I found a job working for a wholesale vintage warehouse where I was suddenly immersed literally up to my waist in vintage everyday, I was in heaven.
What inspired you to open your vintage shop?
Being able to showcase something that has lasted so long and then find its new owner who will cherish it for longer really makes me happy. I am physically incapable of passing up a good vintage item in the wild, and I am determined to rehome it! S,o I guess my addiction also fueled the need to resell. My studio is always on the verge of a hoarding situation.
Tell us a little about your collection? Is it decade specific? Size specific? Themed in any way?
The more I learned about vintage fashion the more I really fell in love with 1960s and 197)s fashion. Bold prints, specifically florals, I really love. I also love anything striped from that time period. The color palettes were perfect and really defined that era. But I'm also a '90s kid so I have a nostalgic romance with that decade as well and really love collecting pieces from then.
In terms of size, I personally have been size small to XL so I really try to be inclusive to all sizes and take pride in providing plus size options.
If you could dress any celebrity or public figure (past or present) who would it be?
This is a hard question for me to answer. I think literally any '90s teen actress or '90s female musician. I was obsessed with the Spice Girls as a kid. Ginger Spice was my favorite.
What is the hardest thing about being a vintage shop owner or collector?
Right now the hardest part for me is finding the time to work! I am a stay at home mom with two small children so they take up a lot of my time. I am a naptime warrior. But I am very grateful to be able to spend time with my children and pursue my passion for vintage simultaneously.
Why did you decide to join Thrilling?
I really love the new Studio Services they offer. I think it's a game changer. Having worked with industry buyers at the wholesale level I felt like that whole market was left untouched to the small solo vintage seller. So to have the opportunity to be seen by industry buyers is a really special and exciting feeling.
Is there anything interesting, special we should know about your shop or collection?
I'm seller for the month for April 2022 at Philly Vintage Bazaar in Philadelphia PA. I offer studio appointments to anyone in the greater Philadelphia area.