Editor's note: True Vintage no longer offers consignments and has also discontinued clothing sales to the public. It is now a vintage rental shop.
LAKEVIEW — A vintage clothing, furniture and housewares store quietly opened in Lakeview this weekend.
True Vintage at 2934 N. Clark St. will focus on well-curated vintage and consignment collections, according to Farah Ghaus, who opened the petite shop with her mother on Saturday.
"The idea is pretty simple," Ghaus, 26, said. "People can come in, consign whatever beautiful vintage they have, and we'll sell it for them."
The Chicago native, who grew up in Uptown and Lincoln Park, said she appreciated vintage wares for their history and ability to help maintain a sustainable lifestyle.
"Clothes may sit in people's closets or get donated," Ghaus said. "Whatever can't be worn goes into a landfill. Unless it's organic or natural material, it can't decompose and just sits there for years and years."
Ghaus, who studied at DePaul and the Fashion Institute of Technology before launching True Vintage, said repurposing items that already exist can help reduce waste.
And when it comes to clothing, it's easier to make a one-of-a-kind statement.
"The likelihood of walking down the street and seeing someone wearing the same thing is slim to none," Ghaus said. "I think people should wear what makes them feel good, and not necessarily be some cookie-cutter mold of what people want them to be."
For now, the store sells clothing, jewelry, framed posters, knickknacks and furniture. The stock is a mix of consignment pieces and items Ghaus and her mother, attorney Mary Fahey, found themselves.
The goal is to move toward all consignment, Ghaus said. Customers who consign will take home 55 percent of a sale, while True Vintage keeps 45 percent. Ghaus said she extensively researches each item, its worth and how desirable it may be before offering a contract.
"Some customers don't like digging through racks and racks," she said.
Any items that don't sell after three months will be returned to the owner or donated to the charity of his or her choice.
Ghaus plans to hire two part-time employees and an intern. True Vintage is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.
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