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Rise of Retro: The Way Vintage Clothing has Taken Over Fashion

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Your grandmother probably called it antiquing. People often refer to it as simply vintage shopping, these days. It’s where what was once old is made new again and sometimes with a big price tag.

Barry McCary owns Dated Faded and Worn, a vintage store that opened it’s doors in Deep Ellum a year and four months ago.

“You just can’t remake it. As hard as people may try, it is what is going on right now,” McCary said. “You can’t find quality like this anymore.”

Dated, Faded and Worn, a little play on letters for DFW, has been seeing an increase in business since it opened. Some items going for a lot more than “thrift store” prices.

“The Ice Cube rap tee. Like this is one of the originals. I can say I paid $3,000 four years ago for it. Now? It’s worth about $4,500. But that’s what people are doing right now. It’s like owning a piece of history that’s actually quality,” McCary said.

McCary knows he hasn’t invented a new concept. He got into the business seven years ago, starting in the sneaker game. He has learned how to capitalize on a business fueled by different generations.

Alexandrea Cohen, owner of Dallas-based Styled By Cohen agreed.

“We see so much fast fashion these days. You see the same thing all the time. Often times it feels like you can’t find things that are original. So people want something unique and that stands out and that not everyone else has,” Cohen said.

Cohen said she encourages her clients to embrace vintage and it doesn’t have to be expensive.

“I tell my clients to look in their closet. See what they haven’t worn in years. They can pair that old t-shirt with a new blazer. Or even find some old school jeans that can go with a different top,” she said.

Vintage is generally defined as something that is 20 years old or older.

E-commerce site Shopify reports the resale market is growing 11 times fast than traditional retail now and that number is expected to double in the next five years. Cohen said a good bit of that growth is being driven by sustainability-conscious consumers. Ironically, many of those are in the Generation Z (born in the mid to late 1990’s to the early 2010’s).

McCary said that’s part of the draw for him. Watching new school and old school merge.

“I wanted to kind of take people on a time travel scenario and I love when parents come in with their kids and this becomes a thing they do together,” McCary said.

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