Karen Ponzio Photo
Alyssa Breeden in front of a rainbow display of dresses at Civvies.
Many of us have wrapped ourselves in a fuzzy blanket of nostalgia as we stay home and brace for our next step out into the world, while businesses try to figure out how to reopen in a way that allows us to return to a few of our favorite things and keep in line with Covid-19 restrictions.
The announcement by Civvies New Haven, a vintage store on Chapel Street, on social media last week that they would be opening for private shopping appointments — with the added bonus of 50 percent off all purchases made during those appointments — allowed this reporter to return to two of her favorite things: shopping for vintage clothing and New Haven.
Three of the original collection of dresses that opened the store.
Located on the stretch of Chapel Street that also houses its sister store, EBM Vintage (both owned by Carol Orr), the carefully curated shop is managed by Alyssa Breeden, who has been there since the beginning. According to Breeden, Civvies’s origins grew out of a collection that was housed in the back of EBM.
“It was a house’s worth of clothes from three women, some with the original tags and all in mint condition, beautiful garments from the 1920s through the ‘50s,” Breeden said. The store opened in the fall of 2017 right when Breeden herself moved to the city. A dressmaker by trade with degrees in history and fashion, she talks with love and enthusiasm about the store and vintage clothing in general, which continues to be an area of growing interest to many shoppers.
“We still buy whole wardrobes,” she said. “We try not to buy later than the ‘80s, though the ‘90s are coming back. It’s trickling in, and anything ‘90s we get flies off the shelf.”
Since the week of March 23, the store has been closed to its typically steady flow of casual browsers and regular shoppers. Breeden has spent two days a week there “making repairs, sifting through back stock, and getting clothes online” to their popular Etsy shop. “We do really well online,” she said, noting that she has also been reaching out to specific buyers and fielding requests for regulars searching for specific items they know the store may have. Breedan reported that pajamas and lounge wear have been popular recently with many a customer (including this reporter); Breedan noted that they don’t want to spend all of their time home in the same outfit day in and day out.
“You have to keep yourself confident, which can help you do confident work,” she said. “You still have to feel good about yourself.”
With that in mind, Civvies staff wanted to give their customers the opportunity to come in and try on pieces.
“With vintage clothing, many people will put something on and say, ‘I don’t think it fits right,’ but that’s because they have an ingrained vision of how it’s supposed to look. That can drive how people feel about themselves,” Breeden said. She herself is driven to helping people get the look that suits them and feels comfortable without a preconceived notion of what looks right or wrong. “Dress how you feel,” she said.
One of the front windows.
Breedan currently books a maximum of three appointments a day. She uses the times in between customers to sanitize surfaces as well as wash and sanitize any items that were tried on.
“I don’t want anyone to come in and not feel comfortable,” she said.
The store is not opening to the public for the foreseeable future and does not have a solid opening date planned yet either.
“Shopping for clothing is going to be different than other retail,” she said. The act of trying items on is one of the factors that sets it apart, though she noted that the shop has a washer and dryer on site that allows the store to launder items after they are tried on. Civvies will not be open for walk-in appointments, and even with a scheduled appointment, no more than two people are allowed in at once.
“Everyone must be wearing a mask, including myself,” Breedan said.
This reporter was among the regulars Breeden mentioned who were interested in what the shop had to offer. After seeing the announcement on Instagram about private appointments, as well as the 50 percent discount, I was sold. Over the past two months I had already bought two pieces from postings Breeden had put up on the shop’s Instagram page, and I was eager to see more pieces in person.
I arrived on a sunny Wednesday morning masked up and ready to browse the elegant yet comfortable shop that Breeden had given a thorough cleaning and makeover. Breeden greeted me at the door wearing her own mask, which she told me she had made herself — along with the dress she was wearing. She then proceeded to show me what items were located where and offered any assistance I needed regarding sizes and styles. I do most of my work at home even under less dire circumstances, so I opted to peruse the lounge wear section first.
Lounge wear was located in the back of the store, a cozy little area near the dressing rooms. I immediately grabbed a long red kimono that was on a mannequin. Breeden enthusiastically guided me toward other pieces in that section, based on what I told her I preferred.
See that red robe? That’s mine now.
Breeden also took a moment to show me the back room of the store, which is not generally open to the public. It is used for storage and overstock, and also for Breeden to mend the clothing if it needs it. She kindly offered to make any small repairs to anything on the spot. The layout of the store allowed plenty of room for her to answer questions and offer assistance while still maintaining safe distances between the two of us. Even the organization of the clothing and accessories, with dresses set apart in different sections by size, added to the ease of browsing.
Breeden also offered her knowledge and expertise when I talked about what I was in search of — a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress for me in a larger size, when I noted that the one I had seen online would be too small. She helped me find many pieces from the ‘70s, a decade during which I, as a child, was in awe of the clothing I saw adults wearing on television and in glossy magazines. The bold colors and groovy patterns of that era may seem gaudy and wanton to some, but to me, they provide an unparalleled aura of comfort and fashion. One other bonus: They’re just plain fun.
Obligatory dressing- room selfie.
I ended up with six pieces that I love, but I did not purchase the DVF dress. While it fit well enough, there was just something about it that did not feel right. These past two months in isolation have taught me many a lesson. One of them is that I want any experience I am in control of, including what I wear, to suit me just right. Breeden agreed.
“There’s no room in 2020 for anything that doesn’t fit perfectly,” she said.
To schedule a private shopping appointment please call Civvies at (203) 772‑1728. More Information can also be found on the store’s Facebook or Instagram pages as well as their website.
