As the economy still struggles, and fashion enthusiasts search for their next beautiful piece of clothing, two kinds of stores are thriving: vintage and thrift stores. Avalon Exchange of Squirrel Hill is our focus in this month’s issue, a vintage and thrift store that specializes in any style of clothing you can imagine. From vintage military uniforms, to warm flannel shirts, to women’s sundresses, to women’s velvet blazers, and of course the exceptional high-end pieces that people have come to sell there. A customer may see iconic brands like Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce and Gabbana, Burberry, Gucci, John Varvatos, Ermenegildo Zegna, even Chanel. There’s really no end to what a customer can find at the Avalon Exchange.
As you walk into Avalon, you hear the shrieks of young women exclaiming how magnificent a certain piece is; maybe it’s a wool overcoat, stiletto heels, a silk blouse, or anything else that catches the eyes of young (and even older) customers. What sets Avalon apart from other thrift or vintage stores in the East End area is that the store is based around the “buy, sell, trade” idea; where customers will come in and bring their new or used clothing to sell for a certain percentage of what the piece is worth, trade for another piece in the store, or just walk in and buy a piece that tickles their fancy. If you’re looking to sell your new or gently used clothing, accessories, and footwear, Avalon Exchange in Squirrel Hill is the only place you want to head to.
Once the rest of the East End Fashion Magazine crew and I walked into Avalon, we were immediately rummaging through racks of clothes pulling out fantastic pieces to hopefully use in this month’s piece on the great boutique. Once all the pieces and outfits were finalized, we saw classic menswear outfits that scream minimal tailoring, western gentlemen, and military inspiration. For womenswear, we came up with many beautiful outfits including a full nautical outfit complete with anchor print pants, a striped tank top, nautical striped wedges, and neckerchief. There were also outfits like the trench coat/vest/tie combo that was inspired by classic men’s tailoring, blue velvet blazers, a slouchyBCBG dress, and many more. When it came down to it, Avalon Exchange had everything we needed to create this gorgeous photo shoot. So we thank Avalon Exchange for all their help and compliance, and suggest you yourself head down and see what you can create.
by stylist and writer Mike Bagnato
Mike also styled the ensembles worn by Bre Short & Brent Luebbert