In Need of a Vintage Upgrade

Selection of vintage wares / Freddie L. Rankin II

With the changing of the seasons, there is no better time for a renewal of mind, body, and soul. One place in particular can do all three. Meet Neighborhood Women's Collective, a brand new vintage shop on 133rd Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, with a philanthropic spirit.

One look inside will get the true vintage collector's heart beating a bit faster. Gems from the 1960s and 1970s make up a majority of the stock curated for both men and women. Darling armchairs greet guests upon arrival with the invitation to stay awhile. Immediate favorites are the jeweled collar jumpsuits straight from the seventies, a two-toned fur gilet, and a checkered yellow blazer with matching skirt. For men, options include oversized leather jackets, embroidered bombers, and wellington boots for the next rainy day. Accessories span tortoise-shell sunglasses, gilded chain purses, and beaded belts. Art layers against the wall and books on the table will leave you captivated for a few hours.

Selection of vintage wares / Freddie L. Rankin II

Run by best friends Venus and Ghislaine, NWC was designed to empower women and girls "to be active members of their communities and confident of their own powers to identify and resolve important issues in their lives." The funding from the vintage shop supports a series of workshops with topics ranging from college preparation, parenting special needs children, fiction writing, and budgeting your resources for women of all backgrounds, particularly those facing social and economic disparities. Venus and Ghislaine are passionate about not just providing things for the women they work with, but inspiring these women to gain self-sufficiency and autonomy to create the lives they seek for themselves.

Visit Neighborhood Women's Collective at 2494 Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Open 12pm - 6pm Wednesday to Sunday.