Vintage clothing has been all the rage over the last decade, with celebrities like supermodel Kate Moss one of its most ardent aficionados.
Retail shops of used garments are a sort of time capsule, transporting shoppers back to forgotten decades to discover clothes, handbags, shoes and accessories from different eras that can translate today into a contemporary look.
Athens News wandered the streets to find places untouched by time. The merchandise comes from previous decades, as do some of the prices.
But buyers beware. Some items can be quite expensive, depending on their age and the name recognition of the designer, like Chanel or Dior. Worldwide demand for these originals is so high that prices have skyrocketed.
The sad thing about secondhand stores in Greece is that many, with their dwindling clientele, have been forced to close, leaving the vintage market to face extinction.
Long history
Most secondhand shops opened after the Greek civil war, in a challenging period for financially devastated Greece. They came to be known collectively as American Markets, a name chosen because their goods came from the United States.
“In the 50s, there was a lot of poverty and the Americans’ were sending help [under the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine],” recalls Eleni Larda Katsihti, owner of the second-oldest American Market in Athens. “There was a great demand for cheap clothes and the like, so people opened such stores with second-hand products.”
Her store opened 34 years ago. The clothes are from between the 50s and the 90s. Colourful sequined tops, ruffled dresses, heavy fur coats and silk scarves are a small part of the eclectic inventory. Her shop is on the first and second floor of an apartment building at 30 Athinas Street. Blouses start from 5 euros, dresses from 45 and vintage clothes from 50 euros.
Larda Katsihti says that the current financial meltdown means people are hanging onto their old clothes longer, which in turn means that finding quality pieces in good condition in the US to send to Greece has become a challenge. Prices, as a result, have climbed.
When asked if the younger generation comes by, Katsihti says: “Young people don’t come to buy everyday apparel. They usually shop, every now and then, for vintage pieces.”
Way back when
The first American Market has been around for 55 years now, always in the same spot, at 19 Sofokleous Street, next to the Athens Meat Market. It’s on the first floor, in a spacious, high-ceilinged apartment.
Eva Skourbouti’s father-in-law, Eugenios Skourboutis, first opened the store in the 1950s after frequently travelling to the States. The clothes, Skourboutis says, are still imported from the US.
“We go to the suppliers’ storehouses and take the merchandise that interests the Greek public, go through customs and make sure they are properly cleaned,” says Skourbouti, who has a second store in Thessaloniki.
Much of Skourboutis’ vintage inventory including blouses and trousers rings up for less than 10 euros. The most expensive apparel, like a silk embroidered dress, still retails for under 20 euros.
But, apparently, the convenience of a mall or department store trumps cost.
“There were always different ages and social classes [coming in],” Skourbouti says. “But now people are in a hurry and they are not in the mood for searching and shopping,”
“Here, there used to be a relationship and human contact,” Skourbouti says. “When a troubled person would come in and would tell you his problem, he automatically relaxed. It wasn’t only about buying a shirt or a dress. It was a kind of psychotherapy.”
Recycling
Not all secondhand clothes and accessories are inexpensive. Designers’ labels come at a higher price.
Mandica Iljic found a niche in secondhand designer clothing when she opened Bohbo at 24 Asklipiou St in 2007.
“I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t such a store here,” Iljic says.
Her boutique is filled with shoes, purses and accessories from brand names like Gucci and Prada that have been discarded long before the end of their life.
“Some women have loaded wardrobes and don’t know what to do with them any more, and other women are happy to find something they’ve been searching for all their lives,” Iljic says.
Her customers come in to buy, of course, but also to sell. Because products keep flowing in, Iljic makes sure to change her display frequently and send out newsletters with pictures of her new arrivals.
Her business is a kind of designer label recycling plant.
“I love secondhand, I like the excitement because you never know what you’re going to see, what you’re going to find. It’s like treasure hunting.”
