In a particularly trendy area of South Philadelphia, at 1926 Passyunk Avenue, you’ll find Mesh Vintage, a real gem of Philadelphia thrift stores.
But to call it a thrift store would be a disservice to what it actually is. If you’re expecting to walk in and buy a 2000's Baby Phat mini jacket, or God forbid, some sort of chucked-out SHEIN micro-trend an influencer wore once or twice, you’ll be sorely disappointed. In fact, expect to find nothing younger than 20 years old. The vintage store is run by one incredible woman, Michelle Renee. (Pictured below) Michelle sources and identifies the vintage herself, if you want to donate make sure to talk to her.
With pieces ranging from the 1940s-1990s, everything has a character and a story, and I recommend those who are looking for a vintage statement piece to walk, not run, to Mesh Vintage. I saw assless leather chaps on the first rack to the left, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Just to reiterate: THIS IS NOT A THRIFT STORE AKIN TO GOODWILL! Everything is real vintage, which means it all deserves utter care and respect. I saw styles, cuts, and techniques I’d only ever seen in period pieces, just hanging on a rack for me to marvel at. The store itself has an ambience that contributes to the vintage atmosphere wonderfully, with metal ceilings and exposed brick walls providing a lovely background. Everything is meticulously sorted in racks by type of clothing, with accessories in the spaces between and on a back wall. Personally, my favorite part was the jewelry counter, with hundreds of statement necklaces and brooches, and even some wartime paraphernalia making an appearance. There are also two racks outside of the storefront with some more casual offerings, like t-shirts and jackets.
If you do have more trendy tastes and no room for antique styles in your wardrobe, I recommend you head straight to the back left rack, parallel from the dressing room. It’s a rack full of leather bottoms, ranging from killer office pencil skirts, to impeccably fitted leather pants (that are back in style, by the way!) Leather is always a good investment, and everything in that part of the store looks like it was taken straight off the runway.
Speaking of the runway, there is one small caveat to this establishment. Unfortunately, due to the nature of vintage fashion, you aren’t likely to find larger sizes. Vintage sizing is much smaller than modern sizing, and pants labeled medium could fit like a modern extra small.
Here’s my final thoughts: I ended up purchasing two necklaces, a pink baby tee, and a mini vest for a very reasonable total of 30 USD. I’m happy with my purchase, but maybe if you’re used to TikTok’s massive 400 USD “thrift hauls”, your expectations will be slightly dashed. If you love real vintage curated by a woman who’s lovely to talk to, you’ll love Mesh Vintage.
Pictures sourced from Mesh Vintage Facebook
Mesh Vintage is open 1-5 pm Wednesday to Sunday,
1820 E Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia
267-930-3321
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