Welcome to Fashionista!

Located in a 175-year-old factory in the charming East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Fashionista is a vintage hound's dream, chock full of brooches, clutches, cloches, stilettos, cowboy boots, hot pants, fringed vests, motorcycle jackets, and so much more. Our strongest eras are the 1950s through the 1970s, but we cover a huge swath of vintage territory, and sell our goods at such reasonable prices that visitors from picked-over Brooklyn and sky-high L.A. lose their minds. What's more, we are that rare vintage shop with a robust and ever-changing selection of menswear.

Hardcore bargain hunters love our Persnickety Thrift section, featuring newer as well as "scratch-and-dent" clothing priced from $3-$15, with additional bundle deals available..

Ready for 1,230 square feet of feathers, frippery, & fun?

Fashionista Vintage & Variety is both a vintage store and a costume shop where everything can be rented and a stylist is always at your service.

Glamor girl Luna
welcomes you.

The Collection

Twenty-plus years of buying and selling has resulted in an extraordinary selection of vintage clothing, accessories, and costumes for men and women.

Rare Treasures

There is a river of vintage flowing through Fashionista, and we never know what will land at our shores. Sometimes, it's a rare and historically meaningful treasure. Have you ever held an ancient Egyptian scarab in your palm and felt its power? Have you touched the braiding on an Army jacket that was last worn during the Civil War? We've handled Victorian widow's weeds, a top hat owned by Abraham Lincoln's first vice president, a mink stole by Elsa Schiaparelli, and a pair of opera glasses once owned by Happy Rockefeller. Truth.

The wonder never ends.

The Costumes

You can rent anything at Fashionista, from a 1950s prom gown to a sober suit for your day in court. But may we suggest perusing our costume collection? We've got flappers and gangsters, 1970s Soul Train hustlers, disco divas, Renn Faire lords and ladies, dancing bears, pirates, wenches, shameless hussies, scary monsters, and so much more. The party starts here!

Fun & Games

According to our (earnest but imperfect) research, Fashionista is one of the last independently-owned costume shops in Connecticut, and perhaps all of New England. Many of the pieces in our collection are hand-made, vintage costumes crafted from fine old fabrics (before synthetics existed), real fur and leather, embellished with old crystal beads, etc. Sure, we've got cheap junk too -- sexy, funny, spooky -- but our customers love being the person at the murder mystery wearing a period frock, antique kid gloves, or a 75-year-old bowler derby, while other guests squirm in their poly approximations ordered last week from Amazon.

The Real Deal

Sometimes, Fashionista hosts parties. We've had birthday bashes featuring Games of Fashion, "Fashionista After Hours" events including Psychic Fridays, with mediums giving private readings, and Dress-Up Karaoke, under a tent in the parking lot. Dress up like the star you're imitating, and let it rip. Mimosas optional.

Claims to Fame

• When singer Christine Ohlman, aka "The Beehive Queen," takes the stage at SNL, as she's done on Saturday nights for decades, she just might be wearing an ensemble sourced from Fashionista (she also rocks our frocks at gigs around the country and the world).

• A costume crew from HBO came calling to help outfit "The Deuce," the multi-season drama about the sex trade in 1970s NYC. Skimpy halter tops, pleather blazers, and disco shirts flew out the door; a few months later we got to see our goods on the small screen, lending authenticity to an appropriately sleazy Times Square.

• Fashionista has welcomed shoppers like "Advanced Style" guru Ari Seth Cohen, singer/ songwriter Jenny Lewis, trailblazing punk rocker Kid Congo Powers, and indie darling Parker Posey (who agonized over the purchase of a cheery poly blouse), to name a few luminaries.

• Here in New Haven, Fashionista was one of a few local stylists chosen to create five historical looks sourced from the costume collection of the multi Tony Award-winning Long Wharf Theater. The resulting garments walked in a fashion show, which then became the subject of a documentary film called "See Me As."

Christine Ohlman on stage and fronting the Saturday Night Live band.

It was in the early aughts that author and fave customer Bianca Turetsky wrote a YA series inspired by her adventures at our shop. Each volume centers on Louise, a teen girl with a love of vintage fashion; she makes the acquaintance of two eccentric shopkeepers (ahem) who fit her with magic garments that send her back in time to the moment when the piece was last worn. The Time-Traveling Fashionista books were published by Poppy, an imprint of Little, Brown. If you can get your hands on a copy or two, come say hello to "Marla" and "Glenda" and we'll sign them for you.

Kid Congo Powers in an art hat with monkey skull.

Jenny Lewis with a Fashionista hobo bindle.

Ari Seth Cohen in an "Advanced Style" look.

Guess where HBO's "The Deuce" went shopping?

Such a Novel Idea

Drag performer Kiki Lucia at Long Wharf Theater.

From the day Fashionista Vintage & Variety hurled itself into the lives of New Haven's unsuspecting eccentrics the shop has caught the attention of various media, starting with print. The biggie was being spotlighted in a "36 Hours" feature in the New York Times' Sunday travel section (10/28/12), but we've also been the subject of articles and local "best-of" awards; named as a destination in a travel book for the "Young, Sexy and Broke"; had a monthly radio talk show as "The New Haven Mavens" on WPKN (since named the best radio station in the world); and, for a time, wrote and photographed a weekly column in which we assembled an Outfit of the Week and told the people where to go have fun in it.

Fashionista Meets the Press

Further Reading:

In 2022, Fashionista Vintage & Variety was honored by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven with a community award. The theme was "Lights, Camera... Fashion!" That evening, our shop was described as "a place of radical self-expression, where gender-fluid folks float around in leather bombers, crinolines and smashed hats, where boys find their very first skirt and girls fall in love with vintage mechanics' suits."

And the Award Goes to...

Fashionista has outfitted many recording artists, including Connecticut's own Eight to the Bar.

NEW HAVEN ARTS:
Two Years In, Fashionista Makes Its Mark On MarlinWorks

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT:
Sign Of Times: ​“Persnickety Thrift” Debuts

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT:
Fashionista Gets A New Lease On Life

NEW HAVEN ARTS:
Fashionista Bids Goodbye To Whitney Avenue

YALE DAILY NEWS:
Vintage clothing store offers sneak peek

PSYCHOLOGY TODAY:
The Psychology of Vintage

ONLY IN CT:
This Is The Most Hippie Town In Connecticut And You Need To Visit

THE NEW YORK TIMES:
36 Hours in New Haven, Conn.

Singer/songwriter Aster Rhys used this image to promote a new release. Photographed at Lighthouse Point Park in a dress rented from Fashionista.

Our Mission

Reuse,
Recycle
&
Repurpose

The name started as a joke. We were a glorified rummage sale in a street-level apartment, a one-off event to sell the vintage and not-so-vintage clothes that didn't fit us any more. At the time, "fashionista" was a somewhat snarky term to describe someone who cared way too much about labels and status dressing. But we wanted people to know that we were selling clothes, so we dubbed our venture Fashionista Tag Sale, knowing full well that a real fashionista would never shop second-hand.

Here's the truth: We don't care that much about fashion. But we do, passionately, care about Mother Earth, and all her children. Our business quickly became a vehicle for fighting the environmental disaster that is the garment industry. But it's not just clothing that we recycle, repurpose, and reuse -- read on.

Serious Business

Since its launch, Fashionista has kept an estimated 162 tons of clothing out of landfills.

• Fashionista has never used bags. Instead we wrap purchases in second-hand fabric, creating a fully reusable bindle. For years we added a hobo stick, made from sustainable bamboo, and attached it with an equally sustainable wooden clothespin. When the shipping costs go down we'll try that again.

• We hand-write all of our (non-plastic) tags. Each stringed manilla tag tells the era of the piece, its maker, the story of its previous owner (if we know it), measurements, and more. We've had armies of Fash Gals over the years who leant their own often-hilarious flair to the tag writing task; we often hear customers quietly laughing as they read about 1970s key parties, track suit tragedies, and why the perfect accessory for that vintage black trench is a self-published book of terrible poetry.

• All of our store fixtures are second hand, including racks, furnishings, and mannequins, many of which were gleefully plucked from dumpsters.

• We repair damaged clothing whenever we can, stitching seams, replacing zippers and buttons, spot-cleaning. If a garment is beyond help, we either put it in the Free Box or make sure it goes into a textile recycling program.

• We preach the gospel of ecology to anyone who will listen.

Make a day of it!

Come for the vintage, stay for the unsolicited advice.

Fashionista has some great neighbors. At the far end of our parking lot, on Nicoll Street, is East Rock Brewery, boasting a huge beer hall with a full bar and an indoor games area -- foosball, shuffleboard, bocce and the like -- all open to the public. (Check their schedule for special events like crafts fairs, trivia nights, and record riots.) Guests are invited to bring their own food, so it's lovely that East Rock Market is right next door. There, visitors can order sushi, pizza, tacos, sandwiches, smoothies, and fancy coffees to go, or they can choose to stay put and have a cocktail at Rick's Bar. On the same block is MacTivity, technically a private gym but with a legit gallery showcasing the work of local artists. Don't forget to enjoy the view of the East Rock Angel, the monument atop nearby East Rock Park, which can be hiked, if you're one of those outdoorsy types.

New Haven = Vintage Heaven

Our little city is bursting with vintage and thrift right now. Stuff your tote with reusable bags and go hunting!
The following shops and pop-ups are located in New Haven proper except as noted.

English Building Market and Civvies
839 Chapel Street.
Vintage housewares in the front, clothing in the back, a gorgeous place with deep roots.

Elm City Sounds
24 Fountain Street (Westville neighborhood).
Lots of fine, fine vintage vinyl.

Forgotten Flea
Pop-up vintage markets with multiple vendors.

Lower Forms
16 Fountain Street (Westville neighborhood).
Mostly jeans, tees, and other streetwear from the '90s and beyond.

Mason Jar Vintage & Thrift
King's Acres Plaza, 85 State Street, North Haven.
Jam-packed shop with clothing and housewares (bric a brac heavy) plus a wee art gallery in the back.

Minipng
77 Audubon Street.
Handmade goods and clothing boutique, plus regular vintage pop-ups.

The New Haven Flea
Floating pop-up vendor.

Noir Vintage & Co.
111 Court Street.
Beautifully-curated vintage clothing in a charming sidestreet shop.

Second Street
272 Broadway.
International chain mixing vintage and thrift with an emphasis on designer brands;
large men's department on the second floor.

Softwear
742 Chapel Street.
Vintage tees and sporty sportswear.

Soulful Threads
1022 Chapel Street.
An ever-changing collection of '90s and '00s garb, located in historical Sherman's Alley.

Vintanthro Modern & Vintage
893-895 Whalley Avenue (Westville neighborhood).
Double storefront specializing in lovingly-collected MCM clothing and housewares.

Witch Bitch Thrift
105 Whitney Avenue.
Lively thrift shop, witch-owned, with an emphasis on plus-sized clothes.

Meet Todd & Nancy

Todd Lyon is an artist, author, restaurant reviewer, and stylist who loves vintage clothing so much that it's the subject of many of her paintings. Nancy Shea has spent 30 years in environmental planning and resource management, and believes her 20 years as a vintage shopkeep has been equally good for the health of the planet. They would like to thank everyone who doesn't buy new.

Gentle dogs welcome.