The first time I came to Berlin was in 2015. We came to celebrate New Years Eve with friends from Holland who worked and lived there. We crossed this gritty and glamorous city on our bikes even though it was freezing cold, tried 10 different sorts of vodka and found out we didn’t match the dresscode of Berlin’s hip and happening youth (BLACK). It was a time in which i thought my boyfriend was a genius for suggesting doing shots of gin when i was already out for the count. This resulted in tending the Berlin municipal plantation in a very personal way. Happy New Year!
It was only five years ago, but Berlin with and without our daughter is like visiting a different city. We visited the same friends who by now have a little boy of ten months old and live in the former cool and alternative, but now family-oriented locality Prenz-Lauer Berg in North-East Berlin. Imagine a little piece of Paris but with broader streets, more green and dozens of play grounds. Entschuldigung for this little side step, but for the parents among us, the more than 1850 play grounds in Berlin are so amazing, challenging and freeing for kids, The New York Times and Monocle are eager to write about them.
I’m not the kind of women who’s afraid of digging through piles of trash in search for treasures. But that skill was not required in Vintage Revivals.
I asked my friends about vintage shops in the neighbourhood, and they recommended two places: Humana (this is an actual second hand department store) and Vintage Revivals. I only got to latter, but no worries. I will go back soon!
I’m not the kind of women who’s afraid of digging through piles of trash in search for treasures. But that skill was not required in Vintage Revivals. Colour and neatness catched my eyes when i walked into this spacious urban store. The walls are concrete grey, the music is loud (too loud if you ask me but i guess i’m old) and the staff looks like they would fit right into Bergheim which is famous for it’s harsh door policy. It made an interesting contrast with all the colourful goodies on racks and displays.
Canary yellow crop top hoodie? Check! Peach clock tower skirt? Check! Hawai blouses? Check! If you love to dress like a candy bar like i do, Vintage Revivals is your place to go. They offer a nice selection of fashion from the past decades, from gothic to sixties.
Yes. They exist. Sunhat buttons. I have pictures to proof it
So I tried on heaps of clothing and there’s the catch: vintage fashion can look awesome hanging on the rack but once it’s actually on your body, you’re like: WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?! Vintage Revivals was no exception to this rule. I had to go through a lot of body dysmorphic experiences in the fitting room until i found some pieces that were a match with my body type. A 100 percent linen dress and a white top with butter fly sleeves.
There was also a huge loss that I had to take in. I found a top with sunhat buttons. Yes. They exist. Sunhat buttons. I have pictures to proof it. But it turned out you can overdo oversized. I could not pull of size 46 so I left this beauty behind. It’s still waiting for a new boss who appreciates sunhat buttons.
Vintage Revivals is located at Schönhauser Allee 127 in Berlin. They also have stores in München and Frankfurt. You can also check their Instagram account for unique vintage styling inspiration.
