Seattle in the Drizzle: A Vintage Picker's Lament (and Triumph)
okay, so seattle. it’s…a lot. i just landed back home, smelling faintly of damp wool and regret (mostly regret about that questionable oyster i ate). i’m a *vintage clothes picker, right? so i’m always chasing that perfect, slightly-moth-eaten, story-filled garment. seattle seemed like a good bet.
let me tell you, the weather is…persistent. i just checked and it’s basically a grey hug that doesn’t want to let go, and honestly, i’m starting to feel like a mushroom. the humidity is insane - ninety percent, apparently. my hair has a life of its own. the temperature hovered around four point something celsius, but it felt like zero, especially when the wind whipped off the puget sound. i swear, i saw a seagull wearing a tiny raincoat.
my mission? find a killer 70s leather jacket. my success?…mixed. i hit up a bunch of thrift stores in fremont and ballard. the people-watching alone was worth the trip. seriously, seattle style is a thing. lots of flannel, obviously, but also a surprising amount of velvet. i overheard someone at a coffee shop (and you know seattle has coffee shops - it’s a national pastime) saying that the best vintage finds are actually in the suburbs, like shoreline. apparently, all the good stuff gets picked over before it even hits the city stores.
“Don’t bother with Ballard on Sundays,” the barista warned me, wiping down the counter. “It’s overrun with tourists and people just…vibing. You won’t find anything good.”
and she wasn’t wrong. it was chaos. pure, artisanal chaos. i did manage to snag a pretty amazing silk scarf at a little shop on pike place market (you can check out reviews on Yelp). it’s a bit garish, honestly, but i’m into it.
my airbnb was in capitol hill, which was…lively. my neighbors were mostly students and people who seemed to be involved in very important artistic endeavors. if you get bored, portland and vancouver are just a quick ferry ride away. someone told me that the vintage scene in portland is even better*, but i didn’t have time to check it out this trip. i’m already planning my return, though.
pro-tip: bring waterproof everything. seriously. everything. and an umbrella. and maybe a small boat.
“That place, ‘Lucky Vintage,’ is a total rip-off,” a guy with a handlebar mustache grumbled to his friend at a bar. “Overpriced and full of tourists.”
so, yeah. seattle. it’s damp, it’s quirky, and it’s full of potential treasures. i didn’t find the leather jacket, but i found a scarf, a story, and a newfound appreciation for waterproof boots. you can find more info about the city on TripAdvisor and Visit Seattle. i also stumbled upon this local forum (Seattle Refined) which has some hidden gems. i’m exhausted. i need coffee. and a heater.
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