Reason #458 to love Harloh's

Reason #458: The 25 percent-off coupon isn't just a Harloh's logo. Oh no, it's a styled photograph of co-owner Tara Valentine. Like everything else at the Virginia Avenue vintage clothing boutique, even the coupons are polished and thoughtful, down to the last detail.

I don't just love Harloh's because they sell vintage; that would be too easy. It's so much more than that. Below, a sampling of the other 457 reasons to love what's become my favorite retro treasure trove.

Reason #1: I love that owner Tammy Dyson started the business as a hobby (since she makes a killing painting nails just two days a week). That type of love and dedication to vintage is the stuff that soul mates are made of, at least in my book.

Reason #2: It doesn't smell like a basement. Tammy makes sure each garment is laundered before it hits the rack, so when you try on that amazing 40's sun suit it doesn't have a whiff of mildew or worse, the body odor of its former owner. Browsing at Harloh's the closest possible thing to hopping into a time machine and shopping at L.S. Ayre's circa 1951...which leads me to Reason #3.

Reason #3: No moth holes here, or missing buttons or rips or sagging hems. Tammy's onsite seamstress makes certain that each garment for sale looks practically new. Heck, some of the items still have price tags on them.

Reason #4: It's organized. Yes, I love the hunt when it comes to used clothing. There's something really fun about walking into a used mess and finding the three cool things in the pile. But when I'm looking for something specific or just a treat for myself (as I often am) I go to Harloh's. Because I know where the size 4's are, because the shoes all have a mate, because the blouses are separate from the sweaters and the pencil skirts are separate from the pleated ones.

Reason #5: The owners look the part. Tammy and her daughter Tara don't just like vintage, they also live it. At any given moment, Tammy's behind the counter with perfectly pin-curled hair, crimson lips and painstakingly perfect-penciled eyebrows. It takes a lot of spunk (and time!) to maintain that Betty Paige look, but she makes it look effortless.

Go there.
Just don't snag that vintage two-piece swimsuit I've had my eye on.

Harloh's: A page from the past
630 Virginia Ave.
(317) 635-5397