vintage connection on examiner.com

Vintage Connection - A Breath of Fresh Spring Air For The Accessory Seeker

There are several reasons why I believe Heather Waity’s shop, Vintage Connection, received Best of Philly 2009: Vintage, by both Philadelphia Weekly and Philadelphia Magazine. For starters, her store is conveniently located one block off South Street at 701 S. 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA. The store is a breath of fresh Spring air during a season of relentless Winter. Her large storefront windows not only display the adorable frocks and accessories of the upcoming season, but also the light that radiates from these windows illuminate the endless array of dresses, jackets, jewelry, handbags and shoes. This leads me to my second reason – the selection. Heather has a great eye for vintage fashion. The walls of the shop are lined with linen jackets, floral blouses and very cool retro skirts. A table in front serves as a display stand for earrings from the 1940’s, necklaces from the 1960’s and all sorts of costume pieces. I bought a pair of lilac and fuchsia button earrings. They will be great for Spring!
Heather also carries a line of jewelry by the designer, Esther K. Esther K. makes fusion pieces using antique or vintage items such as pins, barrettes or buckles and then mingles them with modern components to make striking and unique pieces for today’s fashionista. The adornment that really caught my eye was one I was told was featured on The 10 Show on NBC. It was a necklace with a two tier rhinestone former belt buckle turned medallion. The buckle was silver, but the designer used several gold chains, a gold clasp and gold fringes to transform it into the stunning necklace pictured here.
The third reason I believe Vintage Connection both received and deserved the awards is its friendly and welcoming atmosphere. It is just a great place to be and you want to keep coming back. Heather makes everyone feel welcome and invites patrons to sign up for her e-mail alerts about upcoming sales and events. While I was in the shop, the door opened no less than a dozen times in every 15 minute period. People love to go to Vintage Connection.
Vintage Connection is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M. and Sunday from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. This allows Heather to do her buying on Mondays and Tuesdays. There is a new inventory every week. Note also, Vintage Connection carries a large selection of wallets, belts and vintage aprons. Right now, the Winter clothing and shoes are 60% off. At some point, the merchandise pricing will go to 70% off and towards the end of March, the thing we love to hear – the $10 Rack appears!
Lastly, I want to point something out. I mentioned that the store’s ambiance contributes to Vintage Connection’s success. Heather told me that the snow filled days of the past month actually helped to give her business a boost. She feels that as folks were walking around town trying to shake the Winter blues, the pinks and florals in her windows drew people in. So take an afternoon, shake the snow off your jacket and get your heels on over to 9th and Bainbridge. Spring is right around the corner!

~Christine Pilotti

Posted using ShareThis