Heather Mapstone is serious about vintage. She says the seeds were planted for her to one day own a vintage boutique when, as a punk rock teenager, she visited a store with a mix of vintage and surplus in her hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan and left with a new fascination. Today, she combines her skill at sniffing out the best vintage goods with the knowledge of how to clean almost anything and the wisdom to know when she shouldn’t even try.
She is always on the hunt for what she calls, “the best of the past and likes to joke that she gets up at 3 am, and drives 100 miles for a sale, so you don’t have to.
What do you love about vintage?
I love the quality of craftsmanship in vintage items. Many items were made to last, unlike modern clothing that can deteriorate after a couple of washings. Prior to the 1980s, when production was sent overseas, clothing was often union-made in the USA by skilled artisans or by home-based dressmakers, and the detail work that you used to see is just not done in anything outside of couture and true luxury brands nowadays. In previous eras, clothing was designed to be tailored to the individual wearer which means the fit you get from a vintage dress is very different than a modern dress that relies on high levels of spandex to achieve what used to be done with garment construction. I also like that it feels more unique to buy a vintage item. It’s nice knowing that everyone else won’t have the exact same thing. That makes it feel special compared to purchasing something off the rack at a department store today.
We have made a concerted effort to give our customers a true boutique. Visually we know that vintage/antiques stores can be overwhelming to the senses, so my daughter and I designed the store to bring a bright, upbeat and fun vibe, while keeping things tidy with space for the items to “breathe.” We encourage our customers to have fun, play dress up and try things on, so we always have a comfy chair for a companion to take a load off while he or she waits for the fashion montage!
The thing that sets us apart from other vintage stores and second-hand retailers is our commitment to clean and repair every item we sell. I spend a ridiculous amount of time saving the clothes from stains. Then I hand items off to my mom who replaces buttons, reinforces seams & stress points or tidies up a hemline. We do this with the hope that the garment has a chance to last another 25 to 50 years.
The goal is to have clothing available from a wide range of eras, styles, sizes, and price points. We love presenting some over the top items like a 70s polyester leisure suit or big 80s taffeta gown, but we aren’t striving to be a costume shop. We want people, with all different personal fashion styles, to be able to come in and find great pieces to add to their wardrobes that they will be excited to wear.
What is the difference between second- hand, thrift and vintage shops?
When we think about ways to lead life more sustainably, reusing previously made items is easily at the top of the list. Unfortunately, the terms for this secondary market are being used interchangeably, which can make things confusing when we talk about it and can make others have expectations that are not accurate. Second-hand is the term used for any object that has been previously owned or purchased by someone else. This is a very broad term.
Thrift stores are stores that sell items that are donated to them; they usually sell these second-hand items for a low price point to raise money for a charity.
Consignment stores sell second-hand items in partnership with the original owner of the item. Typically, the items are modern, less often vintage.
Vintage means that the item is at least 25 years old. Antique means that the item is at least 100 years old. A vintage store or antique store sells curated items they have collected using their personal expertise and extensive knowledge of previous time periods, brands and construction techniques. These shop owners build relationships in their community to acquire rare items for their customers.
Aside from clothing, what other sorts of items do you have in store?
We do focus more on clothing and fashion items, but we always have a selection of art, housewares and furniture for sale. When I’m picking things for the store I am attracted to kitchen and household items that are fun and yet practical, like a great platter or trinket boxes for containing dresser top clutter. I love looking at decorative items as a collection that works together, so there is always a theme in housewares. We switch it up every six weeks or so.
Stella Bright is located at 2803 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. and the store entrance is located on 28th Ave N. To learn more, visit stellabrightvintage.com
