Dame Vintage

Time was, we'd head early to the South End Open Market — the May-through-October happening in which a parking lot becomes a sea of vendors — hoping to be first to Dame's selection of vintage sweater vests and $20 knee-high boots. This past January, just in time for those suffering through SOWA-market hibernation months, Dame owner Dany Pearson — an accountant by day — found a permanent space for her vintage wares, one that's not subject to inclement weather. DAME VINTAGE feels like your grandmother's closet — that is, if your grandma is a meticulously organized fashionista with a closet the size of your apartment. Brightly colored cardigans line one rack, next to pencil skirts in wool, leather, and satin — take your pick. Glittery shoes, from patent leather to gold brocade, pepper the store, as do clutches with gold chains. The usual moth-holes and stains that accompany vintage clothing are absent, because Pearson personally restores each item. And hot-pink velvet shorts? Dame's got those, too.

DAME VINTAGE | 68 South Street, Jamaica Plain | jamaicaplaindame.blogspot.com