Each decade has its own recognizable style. The trends of today, however, tend to incorporate more of a blend of fashion’s greatest moments. Vintage fashion has a way of connecting the generations. It reintroduces trends of the past and redefines them as brand new. The ongoing trend of vintage fashion proves that just because an article of clothing has age, does not mean that it has gone out of style.

Heather Sapanos, owner of Vintage Fashion CLE in Lakewood, Ohio, started selling vintage in 1999 when she was a fashion student at Kent State University. After graduation, Sapanos moved to Southern California where she was an apparel production manager. Eventually, her love for selling vintage rekindled and in 2010, she opened up an Etsy shop called “Vintage Only The Best.”

A year later, Sapanos came home to Cleveland.

Sapanos says that opening her own store has been a dream come true.

Before the store opened in August, Vintage Fashion CLE started as a pop-up shop in Lakewood. Sapanos says, “I rented out a boutique called Shop the Trader…4 to 5 vintage sellers including myself set up shop.”

What sets Vintage Fashion CLE apart from other local Cleveland boutiques is the unique quality of their items. When you buy an item from the boutique, that piece is special to your closet only.

“All the merchandise is hand-picked vintage with attention to quality and modern wearability,” says Sapanos. “We’re a women-run business consisting of three sellers/vintage brands: Only The Best, Refried Vintage and IF Found.”

Vintage clothes are not replicated or mass produced. They are carefully collected and highly sought-after. Shopping vintage benefits more than your style, it is eco-friendly as well.

Sapanos is proud to be a part of the sustainability movement, she says, “The fashion industry is the second largest polluter next to oil. We are a great way to get your fashion fix without harming the environment.”

Vintage Fashion CLE is located on 13703 Madison Avenue in Lakewood Ohio. According to their website (vintagefashioncle.com), the store offers a “highly curated selection of affordable vintage finds in a modern boutique environment.”