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It's the biggest shopping season of the year, so you're probably broke as hell as you're reading this. I like fancy, new clothes as much as the next guy, but every so often you need to take a break from the new and spend an afternoon sorting through the old and inexpensive.
Portland has a lively vintage market, and the new wave of curated vintage shops and projects have nicely complemented the good-old-fashioned neighborhood Goodwill. Here are three vintage spots that are worth checking out.
PDX Plugd at Compound Gallery
107 NW 5th Ave., pdxplugd.com, Instagram: pdxplugd
First there was no Supreme and no Bape. Then in 2017, there was all of it. Last week we spoke to the guys at Heir (515 Southwest Broadway) about their new streetwear resale den, but earlier this year, long-running boutique Compound Gallery quietly converted part of their upstairs space in Old Town to a new consignment project stuffed full of vintage shark hoodies and Bogo tees, a throwback to their roots as an importer of Japanese pop-culture ephemera.
I Am That
3623 SE Hawthorne Blvd., iamthatshop.com, Instagram: iamthat_shop
Minimalism isn't just about having cute pottery and a cuter Instagram: It's about not buying new stuff because the old stuff is just as good, if not better. With a large inventory of inexpensive, elevated womenswear—think a maraschino cherry red mohair coat from the 60s for $64—strikingly arranged by color and an adorably sparse aesthetic, Hawthorne's I Am That chops a lot of money off of Portland's look du'jour.
Give and Take Resale
8128 N Denver Ave., giveandtakeresale.com, Instagram: giveandtakepdx
Give and Take isn't new: They've been kicking around as a good-old-fashioned secondhand resale shop since 2012. But on a chance wander through on a recent visit to Kenton, I discovered a treasure trove of secondhand steals that'd make any picker weep. Multiple pairs of Frye boots just sitting there for the taking? Check. A used pair of Bred Air Jordan 11s for less than $200? Check. Perfectly distressed Carhartt and Polo Ralph Lauren? Check. Old punk tees? Check. I'm definitely blowing up someone's spot, but the blow-up comes for every secondhand store worth its salt. Give and Take's time has come.