Press Release

PHILADELPHIA: THE NEXT GREAT VINTAGE SHOPPING DESTINATION
Stylish And Affordable Vintage Fashions Pervade Philly’s Retail Landscape

PHILADELPHIA, March 30, 2006 – Long known for its history, more recently known for its tax-free clothing and most recently known for his overall hipness, the Philadelphia region is an undiscovered treasure trove for bargain-priced vintage garments and accessories. Even famed fashion designer Tory Burch agrees: “Philadelphia is great for vintage shopping. My favorite store is Retrospect. I can always find something unique, and it is relatively inexpensively priced.” Follow this itinerary, available on the Tours & Itineraries section of gophila.com, and you too will be on your way to discovering some of coolest boutiques in town.

Sugarcube in Old City

Photo by K. Ciappa for GPTMC

LOCATION: Philadelphia’s neighborhoods

TRANSPORTATION: Feet, public transit, taxi

TIME: A weekend or any two days that work for you

SUMMARY: A tour of Philadelphia’s finest vintage boutiques, with some dining and entertainment options for good measure

HIGHLIGHTS: Luxe vintage in Rittenhouse, dig-for-it steals near South Street, fashion-forward pieces in Old City

ITINERARY:

Day One: Friday
Fire up the credit card and pack your try-on outfits (you know, the easy-on, easy-off shoes, pants and shirts). You’re about to experience a whole new level of shopping in Philadelphia. This citywide spree begins in Rittenhouse Square. By starting here, in Philadelphia’s toniest neighborhood, you’ll be able to browse the highest of the highest end — and you’ll give yourself the weekend to consider “Let me think about it” purchases.

But first, coffee. The best in town comes from La Colombe Torrefaction, where impeccable cappuccino is served in classic Fima Deruta cups. Step up to the barista, order your drink of choice and watch the city drop by for its caffeine fix.

Your first shopping destination: Knit Wit. Renown for its chic American and European labels — among them, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, Miu Miu and Calypso — this spot is the ultimate ladies-who-shop-after-they-lunch boutique. For nearly all of its 35 years, Knit Wit has carried estate jewelry from local vintage diva Annette Brandt. This is the place to come for investment pieces: Victorian to retro platinum and yellow gold and rare couture from Chanel and Schiaparelli.

Nearby is Knit Wit’s younger — and slightly less pricey — cousin, Plage Tahiti. This mecca of it-jeans and flirty skirts also sells Brandt’s finds, like fine estate jewelry, costume jewelry and Bakelite. Here, however, it’s all about celluloid and lucite, which means you get high-quality, colorful costume baubles with smaller price tags.

Also in the neighborhood is Babooshka, a less-than-year-old source of amazingly reconstructed garments on the second floor of Echo Chic boutique. Babooshka owner Francesca Shan Sloan, a graduate of the Art Insititute of Philadelphia, remakes old pieces into of-the-moment finds with a tuck of a hemline or a nip in the sleeve. She turns leather jackets and unwanted scarves into awesome bags and uses vintage-inspired fabrics to construct balloon shorts.

For more mainstream finds, Sophisticated Seconds sells excellent-condition consignments with labels saying Chloe, Armani, Chanel, Hermès, DKNY, plus a few steals from Banana Republic. While 90% of the shop’s items are only a few years old, owner Joanne Kniele also saves a special spot for ’50s and pre-’50s garments, especially evening wear.

Need more bling? Step into Richard Kenneth, an unobtrusive, shoebox-size, 30 year-old jewelry store named after its sage collector-owner. The shop is loaded with treasures from floor-to-ceiling: diamond-rimmed opal cocktail rings, vintage Patek Philippe watches and elegant strands of cultured pearls.

There are plenty of options for lunch in the area. For a fun and casual scene, share a big salad and global tapas at the colorful Continental Mid-town. Or, for simpler satisfaction, settle in for pressed sandwiches, savory bruschetta and sublime salads at the chic and petite Tria.

Once you’re properly refueled, cross Broad Street to Antique Row (also known as Pine Street), a five-block stretch between 9th and Broad Streets that’s home to decades-old and seasons-new shops. Here, traditional antiquaries such as Jansen and Eloquence share the street with newly fashioned shelter and gift shops such as Hello World and Twist.

At Halloween, a jewelry shop named for the favorite holiday of owner-craftsman Henri David, the only signage is a bright orange business card in the window. This jaw-dropping space, a secret among area shoppers, is packed with Gothic silver, cultured pearls, elegantly set opals and estate-gleaned gold charms. Vintage pieces make up about 10% of Halloween’s brilliant treats.

A couple of blocks down is Lucy, source of perfectly preserved pillbox hats, embroidered handbags, fur-trimmed jackets and costume jewelry. Take a few steps more and discover Blendo. This fun-as-granny’s-attic shop has wares that spill out onto its sidewalk, and in the back of its packed space is a rack of irresistible party dresses from the ’50s and leather vests from the Woodstock era.

For dinner, make reservations for a restaurant in Old City, where plenty of trendsetting spots have blossomed from adaptively reused spaces. Shiny Buddakan offers family-style Asian fusion in a former post office; tapas mecca Amada has Spanish-nouveau cuisine and flamenco dancing in a converted textile shop; colorful Farmicia offers locally farmed fare in an old novelty shop; and elegant Fork serves contemporary American cuisine in a former children’s clothing factory.

Day Tw Saturday
First, sleep in. Most shops on today’s to-do list open at 11:00 a.m. or later. Enjoy a lazy breakfast at Fitzwater Café, a strikingly elegant neighborhood spot for Italian-sausage omelets, berry-topped French toast and homemade banana muffins.

Next up is South Street, where you have plenty of shops from which to choose. You could head to Antiquarian’s Delight, a spacious former synagogue that now houses two dozen or so flea-market-type stalls. Most vendors here are more than willing to negotiate the price of shell-adorned handbags, cat’s eye sunglasses, sequined party dresses and fur jackets. Don’t miss the basement, either, where the old-timers have recently welcomed younger, design-minded vendors of vintage lingerie, patchwork-bedecked tank tops and skirts made from men’s neckties.

Less than a block away is Decades Vintage, for years a very of-the-moment vintage boutique. Look here for the next thing you’ll see on the runways. Owner Lisa Miroslaw has sold lacy camisoles to the crew from Anna Sui; Marc Jacobs has found inspiration for collections here, as have Donna Karan and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Around the corner on South Street, Retrospect has turned an old Blockbuster Video into a hip haven for the kind of fashions you’d see on That ’70s Show and The O.C. Look for perfectly worn concert tee-shirts, classic cowboy boots, crocheted sweater vests and stacks of designer jeans that practically scream 1985 — all reasonably priced.

Next destination: Old City. Elisa Buratto is the friendly owner of Sugarcube, a vintage-meets-new boutique that truly gets it. Buratto combines mint-condition butterfly tops, keyhole dresses and cashmere sweaters with the latest styles from Steven Alan and A.P.C. — and the results are nothing short of amazing. (Don’t forget to look beneath the racks for classic pumps and sandals.)

Next, head up a tall flight of stairs to ME & Blue, another local favorite for both familiar and up-and-coming styles and where vintage pieces offset new looks. Owner M.E. Ster herself designs adorable skirts and reliably stocks Miguel Torres, Velvet and Kitchen Orange.

Another must-hit spot is Forbidden Planett. Located underground, it’s easy to miss. But once inside, you’ll immediately be wowed by the highest of the high end. Blahnik and Choo stilettos, Vuitton and Birkin bags, jewelry from Marian Haskell and Coro, turn-of-the-century wedding dresses and newly reconstructed corsets have attracted the likes of Jill Scott, Fiona Apple, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman.

Now, it’s time for a pick-you-up. Straight across the street, Fork, Etc. is perfect for a coffee and a nibble — try an excellent soup and sandwich or just a little box of Eclat chocolates, made in nearby West Chester. Another good choice: Old City Coffee. Tucked onto Church Street, this is a great spot to relax with a cup of the house roast and a pastry.

Before you’re done, though, don’t miss the shops of 3rd Street, where vintage is the secondary theme of several boutiques. Vagabond may major in Sanctuary pants, StellaPop handknits (made by co-owner Mary Clark), but it always seamlessly blends in sublime vintage. Across the street at Sioux Zanne Messix, there are vintage furs turned into purses and collars and vintage baubles made into chunky necklaces and bracelets. Vintage for men is mixed in with ringer tees and Penguin shirts at the otherwise girly Lost + Found. And Third Street Habit, a haven for Lauren Moffatt, Plenty by Tracy Reese, Blue Cult and Lee Angel, has even installed a mini parlour of vintage dresses, all priced at $78 each.

Feet sore — and arms full of bags? Dress up in your purchases — and head north for serious recharging. Northern Liberties is your next destination. Your fashionable self will be right in step with the artists and rockers in this up-and-coming neighborhood. Stop and stay a while at Standard Tap, a vast and made-over corner spot where the only beers available are local brews, and the only food is what’s listed on the chalkboard (everything from thick grilled cheese sandwiches to sublime chicken potpie). For your finale, hit the dance floor at the living room-esque upstairs of 700 Club, where you’ll recline on a couch and blend in like a star.

Day Three: Sunday
Use your last day to wander back to your favorite shop and make that expensive purchase you’ve been thinking about all weekend. Before you do that though, think brunch. Head to Fairmount, also known as the Art Museum area, for some decadent buck wheat pancakes, with a side of live music at Rembrandt’s Restaurant and Bar, or grab a table around the corner at London Grill, where you can feast on oatmeal brulee, the frittata of the day or Hoppin John’s famous grits. After brunch, give your wallet a rest and make your way up the Benjamin Franklin Boulevard to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s Sunday, and that means you pay what you wish all day. The museum is home to one of the country’s oldest and largest collections of historical costumes—about 30,000 objects if you’re counting—and many are on display in special exhibitions throughout the museum.

ADDRESS BOOK
Vintage Shopping In Philadelphia

Rittenhouse Square :
La Colombe Torrefaction
30 S. 19th Street
(215) 563-0860, www.lacolombe.com

Knit Wit
1718 Walnut Street
(215) 564-4760, www.knitwitonline.com

Plage Tahiti
128 S 17th Street
(215) 569-9139

Babooshka and Echo Chic
1700 Sansom Street
(215) 569-9555

Sophisticated Seconds
2019 Sansom Street
(215) 561-6740

Richard Kenneth
202 S. 17th Street
(215) 545-3355

Continental Mid-Town
1801 Chestnut Street
(215) 567-1800, www.continentalmidtown.com

Tria
123 S. 18th Street
(215) 972-8742, www.triacafe.com

Pine Street :
Jansen
1042 Pine Street
(215) 922-5594

Eloquence
1034 Pine Street
(215) 627-6606

Hello World
1201 Pine Street
(215) 545-7060

Twist
1134 Pine Street
(215) 925-1242

Halloween
1329 Pine Street
(215) 732-7711

Lucy
1118 Pine Street
(215) 228-5829

Blendo
1002 Pine Street
(215) 351-9260

South Street :
Fitzwater Café
728 S. 7th Street
(215) 629-0428

Antiquarian’s Delight
615 S. 6th Street
(215) 592-0256

Decades Vintage
615 Bainbridge Street
(215) 923-3135

Retrospect
534 South Street
(267) 671-0116

Old City :
Buddakan
325 Chestnut Street
(215) 574-9440, www.budakkan.com

Amada
217 Chestnut Street
(215) 625-2450, www.amadarestaurant.com

Farmicia
15 S. 3rd Street
(215) 627-6274, www.farmiciarestaurant.com

Fork
306 Market Street
(215) 625-9425, www.forkrestaurant.com

Sugarcube
48 S. 3rd Street
(215) 238-0825

ME & Blue
311 Market Street, 2nd floor
(215) 629-2347, www.meandblue.com

Forbidden Planett
10 N. 3rd Street
(215) 923-7399

Fork, Etc.
308 Market Street
(215) 625-9425, www.forkrestaurant.com

Old City Coffee
221 Church Street
(215) 629-9292, www.oldcitycoffee.com

Vagabond
37 N. 3rd Street
(267) 671-0737

Sioux Zanne Messix
54.5 N. 3rd Street
(215) 928-9250

Lost + Found
133 N. 3rd Street
(215) 928-1311

Third Street Habit
153 N. 3rd Street
(215) 925-5455, www.thirdstreethabit.com

Northern Liberties :
Standard Tap
901 N. 2nd Street
(215) 238-0630, www.standardtap.com

700 Club
700 N. 2nd Street
(215) 413-3181

Fairmount :
Rembrandt’s Restaurant and Bar
741 N. 23rd Street
(215) 763-2228, www.rembrandts.com

London Grill
2301 Fairmount Avenue
(215) 978-4545, www.londongrill.com

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th Street & the Ben Franklin Parkway
(215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research.

CONTACT:

Caroline Bean, GPTMC
(215) 599-7433, caroline@gptmc.com

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