After a stint interning at New York Fashion Week and working in retail, vintage clothing seller Lauren Thomas got into the secondhand market after learning about the environmental impacts of making new garments. And it turned into a passion when she discovered the individuality of pre-owned items.
"I just love that there's so much history and there's a lot of unique pieces out there, so you're not going to see someone else on the street wearing the same thing as you," Thomas said. "You can really show your individuality and focus on whatever eras that inspire you, whatever styles, and I think it's cool because you're able to take these garments that maybe would end up in a landfill and giving them a second life."
On her thrifting journeys, she would often find pieces that weren't her size or style and started buying them for friends before opening up her first vintage company, Grannie Squares Vintage and selling at flea markets. After working for a different seller and waiting out a non-compete agreement, she returned to the craft fair and flea scene as Heyday Vintage in June 2023. Two years later, she's fulfilling a lifelong dream to open a brick-and-mortar space and is gearing up to open Snail, a vintage clothing store, at 159 N. 3rd St. in Old City on Aug. 1.
Snail will feature a number of styles and sizes on its racks but is primarily centered around classic Americana such as jeans, leather goods, T-shirts and crewneck sweatshirts. The name is a play on the concept of slow fashion, an industry movement to transition to sustainably produced pieces that last a long time and can be reworn, instead of lower-quality garments that can be produced quickly.
"It's just always been my dream to be able to have a space where I could curate and create an interesting shopping environment, something that me and my friends would want to shop at and where you know the brands that are carried in the store are ones that are ethical and sustainable," Thomas said.
The 1,000-square foot space is the former home of Mode Moderne, a mid-century furniture store that moved to Brewerytown last year. Items will also be available at an online store. Thomas learned about styling while attending Conde Nast College and enjoys organizing photo shoots for her brands.
In addition to the daily wear, Snail will offer designer pieces and formal wear, plus goods from local makers including Cloud 9 Clay, by ren jewelry and Room Shop. Before anything gets sold, Thomas said she likes to make sure there's no stains, and she and her team repair any rips or holes to make sure everything stays in good condition and can be worn again and again.
"We just tend to buy pieces that seem like they're good quality and that we could see someone wearing," Thomas said. "We do really try to carry a variety of different styles and sizes for all body types."