by Nina Welch

There’s a charming new shop two blocks north of Avenida Del Mar offering American and European merchandise from the 1920s to Y2k. Owners Patty James and Tim Youngpeter opened Vintage Park Avenue in April of this year and Vintage Vibes, downstairs, in June. They recently closed a business in Lake Arrowhead to open these two stores. 

Sometimes when people enter Vintage Park Avenue on the street, they don’t know about Vintage Vibes downstairs. Also, when people enter Vintage Vibes from the alley across from Nomads, they’re not aware of the store upstairs. The back stairs connect them both, and whether a shopper is seeking the timeless elegance of retro cocktail dresses for the holidays or a man cave complete with barware, beer signs, and classic men’s clothes, they can find them there.

Both stores and a warehouse in Redlands are filled to the brim. “I keep telling Patty no more and she keeps saying I can’t pass this stuff up,” says Tim with a sly smile. Their abundance of inventory comes from Patty’s connections all over the East coast and Europe. Paris is her favorite haunt. They were even able to find priceless treasures in Ohio while attending Tim’s high school reunion.

Choices for a shopper upstairs include stylish hip clothes like denim and suede from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. According to Patty, most of their customers didn’t live through that hippie, bohemian era. When trying on clothes, people get excited putting pieces together that wouldn’t ordinarily match and that represent a style rather than a costume.

Patty is there to help customers create an outfit that includes hats and vintage costume jewelry.

“All our pieces are rare finds. Someone could find a flapper dress from the ‘20s or a fur from the same era, hardly worn,” says Patty. Also available at Vintage Park Avenue are one-of-a-kind wedding dresses. In fact, theme weddings are the thing these days.

Coco Channel would be pleased that the little black dress, perfect for any occasion, might be found on the racks upstairs.

A fan of vintage items can spend hours going through the extensive clothing selections, but there are also unique gift choices like silver candelabras from the ‘30s and interesting artwork. One such painting is that of Norma Smallwood, Cherokee Indian and the first Native American to win the Miss America Pageant in 1926. At the time of her win Norma was a student at The Oklahoma College for Women. She was a swimmer, dancer, horseback rider and captain of the college hockey team.

 

To experience Vintage Vibes, either enter from the alley or go down the outside staircase from Vintage Park Avenue. This sanctuary, not unlike a stylized garage, is Tim’s specialty. As a former architect and engineer, his pristine organizational talent is due to his expertise in building all the shelving and racks for both stores. A popular draw for customers is the brand-new hand-stitched eel and lizard cowboy boot collection from the ‘80s still in their original boxes. A bridegroom to be was thrilled to find the perfect pair for his upcoming western-themed wedding. He wore his wedding slacks to try on the boots and selected the perfect pair. 

Original artwork can be found in both stores. A stunning oil piece was acquired from John Wayne’s daughter’s estate titled ‘Summer Afternoon Entrance to the Villa.’ More fun finds are a WWII propeller, an ice chest from the 1800s, vintage tees, and leather jackets, plus kids’ clothes and toys.   

Patty and Tim live in Laguna Beach with plans to move to San Clemente. Their Brady Bunch lifestyle consists of five grown daughters between them and four grandsons. Patty appreciates all the fashionista female influences in the family. Their partnership is in synch with their love for all things vintage. After teaching in Irvine for 30 years, Patty had a calling from her roots to pursue a vintage business. Her dad collected antiques, and both her grandmothers had a keen sense of fashion. One was a buyer in a department store in the ‘30s. Patty’s mindset from the ‘30s was never throw anything away. All of the clothes are either from the United States or Europe. Vintage to Patty means sustainability. Items from the ‘20s to Y2K are of such quality nothing is thrown away. The definition of vintage is over 20 years old.