Ann Arbor Spring Trek Recap: Sustainability within Local Businesses
To kick off our spring trek, we started on State Street at Get Up Vintage, an eclectic and homey vintage store specializing in 70s and 80s pieces. Get Up Vintage has been on State Street for almost 20 years, with the current owners, Lindsey and Kaylan, taking over 9 years ago. Both passionate owners expressed a deep love and appreciation for vintage fashion and sustainability within their business.
They've been so successful that they plan on opening up a new storefront, only a few blocks further from campus, with more than two times the amount of space. Both partners believe that the success of their business can be attributed to their passion, hard work, and reputation in Ann Arbor. Get Up Vintage sources their most remarkable finds from various sources, with one of the most notable being residents who want to get rid of their vintage clothing. At first, they mostly had to find estate sales, but because of their reputation in the community, sellers often found them. Their reputation is also strong among its clientele, with clothing always carefully mended and washed before hitting the racks. This business model is entirely sustainable because the clothing being mended, repurposed, or sold in stores came from the community and is finding a second home within the community.
Additionally, both owners have strong opinions regarding clothing on sale, saying that one should only buy something from their store when they know they'll get a lot of use out of it. This is because Get Up Vintage wants its customers to love their clothing and be able to work it into their everyday rotation. Lindsey and Kaylan's passion for vintage clothing and local shopping makes Get Up Vintage a must when visiting State Street.
To many students, our last stop on the Trek, University Vintage, is already a well-known vintage reseller on campus. The former Michigan student Shane started buying and selling Michigan gear to fellow students in Ann Arbor without realizing how saturated this market is. With Michigan being an avid supporter of its sports teams, students wanted unique gear to wear to football games and class. Jared started using Instagram to run the growing business but has now expanded to a website and storefront. In addition to all of this, University Vintage has also expanded to Michigan State with the help of Shane's brother Jared and plans to continue to grow as the brand becomes well-known across multiple campuses.
Inherently, a vintage reselling business is entirely sustainable, as one is repurposing and reusing items that were already in existence while allowing for a wider variety of college clothing options in which students can choose to buy something unique and different rather than a mass-produced item at the M Den. University Vintage gets most of its items from estate sales or established connections. It's formed through word of mouth and often has items it wants to eliminate. By recirculating countless pieces of Michigan apparel, University Vintage recirculates these items within the Michigan community, allowing them to find a second home rather than end up in a landfill. University Vintage has become a new staple of State Street and has helped to reinvent the individuality of Michigan students on gameday.