Dear Golden Vintage stands apart from other vintage shops by the unique shopping experience clients receive. Once you step inside of the shop, located at 108 Pearl St. in downtown Ypsilanti, you instantly notice the modern girly mixed with the vintage décor.
Buying vintage is not as expensive as it sounds. It is possible to find things at a reasonable price. A plus is that vintage clothing obviously holds up well. Vintage stores do not have a return policy, which is something else I learned in my lesson.
Lauren Naimola, the owner, handpicks each of the garments, catering to ladies and specializing in bridal or special occasion dresses. Naimola compares the shopping experience to “having a personal shopper,” and the appointment-only store hours allow clients to receive one-on-one attention.
Finding the right garment is relatively easy with the color-coordinated system and with Naimola’s personal help, who has years of experience in dressing ladies in vintage clothing. Her knowledge of vintage clothing and a woman’s body, guides her in picking the right dress. “Eighty percent of the time they will go with my pick,” Naimola said.
For the online shoppers, the online store has you covered with items in-store that are available online as well. The online store is updated daily with the pictures being taken right in the store. Naimola started the online store six years ago and it has become successful. Dear Golden Vintage has been at its current location for the past two years.
“It keeps me busy, with photographing, packaging and shipping,” Naimola said.
At Dear Golden, you will find clothing from the ’20s to the ’70s. You might even find clothing from the ’80s, but only if Naimola thinks they are “cool” enough to be displayed.
I walked into Dear Golden as a “vintage virgin” and walked out as a “vintage beginner” thanks to my personal vintage lesson 101. Vintage is anything that is 20 years old. Naimola explained there are “vintage purists who think anything that is past the ’70s is not vintage.”
For more information on Dear Golden, visit DearGolden.com and follow on Twitter @deargolden.
