by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
In recent months, retailers in Five Points have seen a change in merchants that reflect the area’s growth and maturity as both a commercial and residential hub. Gone are the days of a quiet Riverside where people escaped for a different view of the river or a quiet lunch.
Today, Riverside is a destination replete with historic homes, modern condominiums and enough night life and shopping options to make Riverside a self-sustaining neighborhood.
For example, the arrival of corporate chains like Qdoba and Starbucks and the according shift from thrifty spending to high-income splurging have all combined to create a “new” Riverside.
While these changes may be creating challenges for some of the area’s store owners, The Clothing Warehouse, the newest “kid” on the popular Park Street block, is doing just fine.
According to store manager Marisa Spilman, The Clothing Warehouse’s success may be partially due to the fact they serve the needs of the new Five Points crowd as well as the old.
“Buying vintage clothing is kind of like a lifestyle to some people,” she said. “Other people like to wear it for dress-up or just for fun. We cater to both groups.”
Located on the corner of Park and College Streets where Milo used to be, the store — which is painted an eye-catching red on the exterior — has been selling out of their authentic vintage items since their Sept. 9 grand opening.
“We get everyone in here, but especially the vintage collectors and then there are those people who wear it (vintage clothing) everyday,” said Spilman.
The store specializes in classic vintage clothing from the 1930s to the 1980s and stocks staples like Levi’s, old T-shirts, vintage dresses, cowboy boots, western shirts and a variety of ‘70s and ‘80s pieces. They also carry a large assortment of go-go boots, wigs, belts, bags and jewelry as well as vintage accessories.
While a large number of shoppers that come through the store are twenty-somethings and teens searching for unique clothing to personalize their style, there is also a large number of vintage collectors that come in who aren’t shy about spending big money on something they really want.
“One of our most expensive items right now is our vintage leather biker jackets,” said Spilman, adding the jackets usually retail at close to $500 but the store carries them at discounted prices.
“Those are really popular. The ones who want certain items come looking for them,” she said.
The Warehouse — there’s a second location in Jacksonville Beach — does buy vintage items from customers. However, their merchandise comes mainly from their supplier in Atlanta. Spilman says nearly all the vintage clothing in the store is authentic.
“Occasionally, they have really good remakes out of vintage stuff and so sometimes those come in the mix,” said Spilman. “But we try not to carry that stuff as much.”