Shopping Spree

Fashion > Forward

by Felicia D'Ambrosio

Lollycrisp Vintage

lollycrispvintage.etsy.com 

As much as she likes living in the Illadelph, Ada Egloff is not a local. The 23-year-old Barnard grad is a New York City native, and spent her high school years prowling the legendary vintage stores of the Lower East Side for finds from past eras of fashion. These days, "New York vintage is insanely overpriced," she says. "Now that I live here in Philadelphia, I don't want to pay that." Her passion for good vintage has not diminished — and Philadelphia's reasonably priced secondhand stores have delivered such a bounty, it sent Egloff into business.

Her Etsy shop, Lollycrisp Vintage, is the pick of the region's overflowing thrift shops. "Philadelphia has so much undiscovered thrift," she says. "Especially on the outskirts of the city, people are looking for current, nearly new clothes. More vintage hangs around those stores." She stocks her Etsy shop with pieces that are relevant now. "I look for stuff that is highly covetable," Egloff adds. "Mini leather jackets, vintage fur, any kind of interesting prints. Very small sizes also tend to do well. I have a tiny Indian print dress up now that is getting a lot of attention."

Sourcing gems always requires digging. "Thrift stores, flea markets, estate sales — which are a very strange experience," says Egloff. "You're basically going through a person's house exactly how they left it." Egloff has an amazing ability to laser in on the most interesting items in a store. Lollycrisp inventory always includes one or two pieces that are truly gasp-worthy, the type of garment that draws comments from everyone who sees it. This "vintage karma" comes from her innate appreciation of old things. "I don't write things off right away," says Egloff. "I pull everything out of the rack to consider how it could be relevant. I also do repairs if I can — hem things into minis or bubble skirts, give them a little bit of love."

With hope for warmer weather just around the corner, Egloff is looking to the recent past for spring trends. "I'm really feeling those early '90s ankle-length dresses — billowy, a little baggy," she says. "Vintage has its own trend trajectory. We're still seeing the high-waist full and bubble skirts, and body-con from the '90s. For spring, I like wide-leg, high-waist trousers with a small tank."

For the final test of fashion quotient, I spring my hardest question: Is there life after the gladiator sandal? "The gladiator sandal, like the skinny jean, is a staple. Everybody needs a flat sandal that breathes. I see it moving to a more modern shape, less literally 'gladiator' and more of a futuristic take."

Future? The whole time we've been talking vintage, and now the girl whips out the future? "I'm always looking for futurism in vintage," she says. "What do you think that '80s peaked shoulder was about?"