Sazz Vintage Clothing
38 N. Third St.
215-923-7299
Mon through Tue, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Wed through Sat, 11a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, noon – 8 p.m.
www.sazzvintage.com
Sazz Vintage Clothing is a haven for fashion forward – or in this case, backward – men. The Old City shop is the best place to find men’s fashions from the 1940s to the 1980s, as it has one of the largest inventories of vintage men’s clothing in Philadelphia. Sazz boasts an inventory of hundreds of vintage tuxedos, T-shirts and the largest selection of Western shirts in the city.
Sazz’s founder and owner, Amanda Saslow, has created a one-stop shop for fans of the rockabilly look, or those who want to spice up their ordinary wardrobes with a retro conversation piece like a Members Only jacket or a Pierre Cardin tuxedo vest. Sazz carries hard-to-find trends like Eisenhower jackets and Beatle boots. Flannel shirts are making a comeback, and Sazz has plenty of Pendleton flannels from the 1940s and later.
Along the back wall hang a slew of very “Rat Pack” luxury blazers with skinny lapels in fabrics like sharkskin and velvet. There is also a great collection of accessories like cufflinks, skinny ties, bow ties and belt buckles. For Valentine’s Day weekend, Saslow will begin a miniature spring upload, when she will stock around 100 of her latest T-shirts. The tees are all vintage-worn, making them incredibly comfortable with authentic, retro designs.
Agent Aloha
506 South St.
215-238-5880
Mon-Thu, noon – 8 p.m.
Fri through Sat, noon – 9 p.m.
Sunday, noon – 7 p.m.
www.agentaloha.com
Among the competitive businesses on South Street, Agent Aloha is a store that stands out. It may seem like every other men’s street wear store in the area, but don’t be fooled. Agent Aloha has street smarts to pair with its street wear.
After opening its doors in 1997, Agent Aloha was the place to go to for UFO pants. Talk about a scary 1990s flashback. The store made bank on those wearable parachutes, eventually turning into the T-shirt capital of Philadelphia.
Agent Aloha carries many favorite T-shirt brands, including Obey, Zoo York and Upper Playground. It is also the place to find tees from Philadelphia-based Okayplayer. Although the majority of the inventory is composed of graphic tees, Agent Aloha also carries hooded sweatshirts and outerwear, along with sneakers and denim from Obey and Zoo York.
Art Star Gallery & Boutique
623 N. Second St.
215-238-1557
Tue through Sat, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sun, noon – 6 p.m.
www.artstarphilly.com
Show your crafty personality by giving Art Star a chance. When walking by this Northern Liberties gallery and boutique, you would not expect to find any great men’s fashion finds. But Art Star is sure to surprise. The boutique is a great place to find T-shirts and one-of-a-kind ties from Tymbal, a company that specializes in recycling old neckties by screen-printing them in various designs and colors, making unique pieces. T-shirts from Spaghetti Kiss are another popular favorite.
Art Star also carries a selection of pullovers and sweatshirts from Holly Hue, a clothing company that recycles old knit sweaters and sweatshirts by splicing them up and combining the fabrics into fresh, eco-friendly designs. Art Star also houses cufflink collections from jewelry designers Rain Harris and Happy Owl Glassworks. Both designers use silhouettes of animals like deer and rabbits on their designs.
Perhaps the funkiest find at Art Star is Something’s Hiding In Here’s wooden mustaches on a stick. Place one in your front shirt pocket or sport it at a party for a good laugh.
Nicole Saylor can be reached at nicole.saylor@temple.edu.
Nicole, Great Article. I enjoyed reading it, keep up the great work.