Our New Obsession: A Vintage Site That’s Not Expensive (But Highly Addictive)
Around here, we’re endlessly fascinated by the wide world of online shopping, and it seems that every week brings with it a brand-new e-commerce site to be obsessed with. Since keeping track of ‘em all can be a feat of epic proportion, we’ve decided to feature “A Site To See” each week, highlighting a cool retail website you’ll definitely want to bookmark. This week: a site called Maeven, a brand-new vintage shopping site with unbelievable inventory and prices.
What It Is: The brainchild of Greenpoint, Brooklyn-based vintage addict Amy Yee turned her passionate hobby into her life’s work when she started Maeven less than two years ago.
“I’ve been buying and selling vintage for about 16 years as a hobby, and it was the way I was shopping myself,” Yee tells StyleCaster. “I worked in at art gallery, and I quit to pursue other things, but one thing that was really sticking with me was vintage. I was selling at various marketplaces, and I figured I really want to make this work, make it professional, make it a business.”
She started Maeven in a tiny studio in Greenpoint, where it’s still fully operational and she takes private appointments to see her inventory. And then there’s the online arm, where you can shop the entire collection from anywhere in the U.S.
Why We Love It: Vintage shopping sites are truly a dime a dozen in today’s retail marketplace, but Maeven stands out because it’s the best example we’ve found of a vintage site that looks truly modern. The professional photography of the pieces–which Yee and her assistant do themselves in her studio–is clean and crisp, and gives the unique pieces the attention they really deserve.
MORE: How To Buy Vintage Clothing: A Complete Guide for Beginners
“I have an appreciation for all the things that came before me,” Yee says of her love for vintage. “My real goal with Maeven is to pick out things that are relevant to what’s happening now and afashion-forward, as well as vintage pieces that mix into someone’s current wardrobe.”
The best part, though, is that Maeven looks so high-end–and, in fact, does include some big name designers like Norma Kamali and Pierre Cardin–but it’s incredibly affordably priced. This vintage yellow wool coat, which we’re completely obsessed with, is $135–very similar to a price you might pay at Zara or ASOS, but with a much more intriguing backstory.
“That’s part of where the value comes from vintage,” Yee acknowledges. “Instead of something that’s a very high-priced designer piece, you can get the same fabric at the fraction of a price. I don’t think all of my shoppers are shopping only at vintage stores, but they want a few vintage pieces to personalize their wardrobe. So I don’t want to be a store that’s very overpriced; I’m not going to buy something unless I know I/m goung to make a profit and give value to my customer. I do want it to be reasonable. I do have a lot of things that are under $50 and some under $200.”
Amy’s Picks: Part of what Yee does as the owner of her store is personally help her customers choose pieces that are right for them. Of course, we had to ask her to run through a short list of some of her favorites on the site right now!
Vintage Leopard Print Coat: “Always a classic!”
Vintage Emerald Suede Coat: “This is a great easy-to-wear statement piece.”
Lavender Silk Norma Walters Dress: “This dress is pretty incredible, especially the sleeve detail.”
Check It Out: ShopMaeven.com
Bonus Feature: There’s currently a sale going on with pieces up to 90% off!
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