Why Maude Vintage is the coolest place you haven't really been to yet

Reason 1: Because here is where Kanye got those sunglasses he wore for his performance of "Stronger"!

So I'd heard that Maude Vintage on Broadway was a cool place, but I didn't really know how cool. Not until I saw the collection of 80s plastic sunglasses, or the poodle skirts and disco suits in the "decade room," or costumes ranging from matador to army brat in the basement. This place is just fun.

And where does all this stuff come from? Customers, actually, says Carissa, who works there. They'll pay %40 of what they sell it for. Maude V, as its sign says out front, has been around for about 8 years, and has called 3 different buildings home.

Reason 2: Because you'll want to drape yourself, and your house, in everything.

But the place isn't just a dizzying amalgamation of the past-- the store features local artists who create pins, jewelry, t-shirts, backpacks, and all of those irresistible home decorating knick knacks that you'd drop like 30 bucks for at Pier-1. You can expect to pay far less for such items at Maude's.

By the end of my brief trip, I feel like the childhood me would love to hang out and play dress-up all day. Okay, who am I kidding-- I do want to come back and play dress up all day! But it must be noted that Maude's isn't just for the little girl in all of us-- it's for the boys, too. The store boasts just as much menswear (we're talking everything from hats to pants to shoes) as it does ladies' fashions.



Reason 3: Because oooh it's so... shiny...


So instead of pretending to be Olivia Newton-John in Grease or M.J. in Thriller or an escaped inmate, I took pictures. Lots of pictures. Take a look at them on the right, and ogle away. You just might be inspired to find the inner diva (or, for the guys, divo?) in you.