Beehive Chicago Vintage Collective

Ya see all this goodness here? This is all from Beehive Chicago Vintage Collective, a loft-space turned showroom nestled in East Garfield Park, home to eight vintage stores and a treasure trove to all of the vintage obsessed. Decked out in strings of fairy-lights and clusters of pink tissue pompoms, this loft acts not only as a workspace for the vintage vendors, but also a mini mall come every Saturday, when they open up their doors and invite you to come poke around their loot.
I went last Saturday with Tom (ready to spend my lunch money on the first plaid dress I laid eyes on) and found myself kind of crushing on the collective, getting more and more fond of them as I went deeper into the loft. You see, the thing that struck me about them is how wonderfully warm and inviting they all were. Customers were sprawled out on vintage couches, talking and laughing with the vendors as they noshed on free cookies and drinks laid out on the bar. Girls came out of dressing rooms decked out in mod dresses and full skirts- first a little uncertain and unsure- then softened into delighted smiles as the owners topped off their looks with vintage hats, fur stoles, and encouraging winks in the mirror. Some of the vendors were busy dressing models in incredible outfits, getting ready for lookbook photoshoots as customers (well, fine, me) gawked on the sidelines. (And feverishly stole styling ideas for future looks.)
There was tons to rifle through, and we spent a good handful of hours weaving between rows, thumbing fur coats, testing out barcarts, and trying our hardest not to blow all of rent money on vintage dresses and boots. If you're in the Chicago area, definitely come through one of these Saturday afternoons. And if you're not, scroll to the bottom of the post and visit their Etsy stores and sites!
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