Blog

It was over 4 years ago that we walked into Los Angeles' Scout and were taken with the thoughtful collection of clothing from an international roster of budding fashion talents complemented by expertly curated vintage pieces. A lot has changed in four years. Scout moved to a new location in Hollywood. Jargol moved to New York. And Greg Armas, one of the original owners of Scout moved to New York himself and opened Assembly in mid-2008.

For his new retail effort, Armas has evolved the Scout retail concept. While still having an eye for up and coming fashion talents, Assembly honors the past as much as the future. This is reflected in the ambiance, in the prominently display selection of vintage clothing, accessories and objects, but also in the curation of new clothing and accessories. Surrounded by vintage and antique items that are desirable and relevant decades later, with Assembly there seems to be a predilection towards design and production that will stand the test of time. Shoes in beautiful, heavyweight leathers and canvases are preferred over trendy colorful sneakers. Shirts and dresses with careful construction and subdued colors prevail over more unorthodox treatments. Seasonal trends are mostly ignored.

Raquel Allegra tie dye top

Damir Doma sunglasses

Rachel Comey jazz shoe

A Detacher long sock

Veronique Branquinho button-up

Vintage 1940s brass piggy bank

Vintage fashion has a new online marketplace. Tired of eBay's ambivalence towards the needs of vintage fashion seller and buyers, Market Publique has created an environment custom-tailored to make selling and shopping for vintage fashion as fun as visiting a cute little vintage boutique.

"Zsa Zsu is a feel good online vintage store for people with a vintage heart and a sense of humor." The Belgium online vintage store is the latest additon to our guide.

Vintage geometric rings at Anica ($65)

New York's Girls Love Shoes is known for its archive of vintage women's shoes, with some pairs dating back to the 19th century. Part of the collection is now online!

In our minds, the best vintage doesn't look vintage. It's not some bright polyester shirt that screams Saturday Night Fever, nor is it some flower-embroidered, wide-legged pair of jeans that sings the '60s. The best vintage stores stock items that look relevant and natural decades later but distinguish themselves enough to make them stand out. Like Modbag.

Modbag is a specialized online shop of Chicago vintage furniture shop Modern Times that focuses on vintage handbags. There are dozens of varieties of pristine bags that are just incredible (and not cheap!).

Steven Alan recently put up some very cool vintage jewelry pieces on its site.

In our visit to New York a few weeks ago, we were rather disappointed to not have the time to visit BrellaBar. Much as it sounds, BrellaBar has dedicated itself to making the tedious task of keep dry a style opportunity. And while we've all seen obnoxious umbrellas that announce one's arrival from 5 blocks away, the umbrellas at BrellaBar focus on a more subtle stylishness with details like a chestnut handle or a shearling trim. There's just a unabashed "old rich" attitude to the shop (most umbrellas cost several hundred dollars) that we just can't help but admire. While the shop has a physical location in (where else?) the Upper East Side, most of their selection is available to browse and buy online.

The next one is our personal favorite. Yes, someday we hope to have an umbrella with a silver horse's head for a handle.

The shop has even sought out a selection of distinctive vintage umbrellas.