By Aha Blume and Cyndi Ingle
If your vision of personal fashion includes NOT looking like everyone else, So La Di Da Vintage Shoppe, a retro clothing store at 119 Locke Street South, Hamilton is your destination of choice.
Shop owner Lauri Archer opened her doors on September 10th, during the Locke Street Festival and since then her shop has been extremely busy. As Lauri explains, “I’ve outfitted everyone from a 10 year old boy to a 78 year old woman, and I try to have something for everyone, even a few pieces for the fashionable 4 year old.”
Lauri’s decision to open a vintage clothing store came about for a very practical reason, and in the process she has literally found her dream job. “I had a lot of clothes that I never wore, so why not sell them to people who will wear them?”
Her life-long love affair with vintage fashion dovetailed perfectly with the need to make a living when she discovered the ideal retail location on Locke St. Most of the items for sale are from Lauri’s personal clothing collection, as well as items she purchased on a recent buying trip to London, England.
Walking into So La Di Da is an adventure, as you are never sure of what you might find from day to day. Frequent visits are a must. You’ll want to have plenty of time to browse around the store at your leisure so nothing is missed. Prices range from $5 to a few hundred dollars (there is a 1911 treadle sewing machine for sale) with the majority of the items in the $30-$40 range.
What are So La Di Da top sellers? “Vintage party dresses have been the most well received as they are quite unique in their craftsmanship. The 20-ish year olds appreciated the attention to detail that seems lacking in the current fashions. Vintage purses have also been given a new life, which is great to see, since they’re extremely well made and never fall apart. There was no such thing as pleather back then, and it showed. Young guys have also been thrilled to find vintage leather to suit their style,” stresses Lauri.
Since some of the items have been in Lauri’s private collection for years she often finds it sad to see them go, but is happy to see them enjoyed by people who are thrilled with their new purchases. Recently she sold a vintage 1940’s opera coat, which was black silk velvet, with a white silk lining and sheared beaver collar.
As Lauri explains, “selling it was quite bittersweet but since I never wore it much I decided to part with it. And to date that was the most expensive item at $200 and the woman who bought it got a great deal. Funny enough I bought it at a vintage store on Locke St. about 20 years ago, so it came back full circle.”
The bottom-line: If you want to look great, but don’t want to spend a fortune to do so, So La Di Da is Hamilton’s new vintage IT store. You are invited to join So La Di Da’s facebook page to keep up to date on all things So La Di Da.
So La Di Da Vintage Shoppe
119 Locke St. S., Hamilton
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Phone: 289-933-7652
