If you haven't been to , you are missing out on a life changing experience. The whole store is visually eccentric, from the tall sign of Liza Minnelli atop its roof to the chandeliers draped in tutus, hats and beaded jewelry, there is something just fascinating about this museum of yesteryears.
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Renée Davila opened Pattye's Vintage Closet in August of 1996 because she had "too much stuff." Davila said, "my mom suggested that I should open up a shop to showcase and sell all of the interesting items that I had been collecting. When I found this location, it just clicked and everything fell into place."
A true sensory experience awaits anyone who enters the shop. Scents of visiting my grandma are instantly refreshed in my mind as I smell the little miniature perfume bottles displayed on little mirrored trays. The store is visually peculiar, much like a Lady GaGa video. In fact, several items Lady GaGa has worn in her performances were purchased from this very vintage store. Celebrities and their buyers frequent Pattye's Vintage Closet in search of the perfect, one-of-a-kind item to wear in a movie or at an awards show.
"Our store is visited by buyers for Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, and Christina Aguilera. Singers, dancers, and people in the theatre business love our store. We also have lots of families come here looking for the perfect costume," said Davila.
Case after case of vintage jewelry, lockets, charm bracelets and heaps of rhinestone tiaras are at the entrance, but be sure to look up and around the whole store because there are troll statues, masquerade masks, Kewpie dolls, and light-up garden gnomes sprinkled around, too. The window display is full of old vintage cameras from the 1930's as well as antique dresses and apparel.
Davila mentioned that her favorite piece in the store is a vest from the Victorian era that she just cannot part with because it is a piece of history. Going through the racks of hanging clothing is like going on a treasure hunt through time. Amazing formal dresses, 1920's fur stoles, classic house coats and casual wear bring back a floodgate of memories.
Looking for the perfect accessory? If it's not at Pattye's, it just may not exist. Unique handbags, gloves, clutches, scarves and out-of-the-ordinary shoes for every occasion can be found here. Home décor accents are also in plentitude here with vintage travel posters, trunks, lamps, figurines and even dishes and candle holders. Check out the curio cabinets filled with dolls from around the world, old Disney figurines and antique hand-painted eggs. I spent hours in this delightful hodge-podge of a store that is unlike any other vintage store I have ever visited, and came home with tons of items that I didn't even know that I was dying to own. The prices are amazing and the adventure alone is worth a million dollars!
Pattye's closet is located at 2422 Honolulu Avenue and is open Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Check out photos of Pattye's Vintage Closet.
