Boutique Promises New Era for Men's Vintage
Vintage fashion had mostly been a woman’s affair in Los Angeles until Dec. 13, when Jonathan Kanarek opened Jake Vintage, a men’s vintage-fashion boutique in the heart of a specifically retro-loving section of the city.
The store, at 4644 Hollywood Blvd., is located across the street from retro-friendly novelty emporium Soap Plant/Wacko and Sweeney Todd’s Barber Shop, which specializes in mid–20th century men’s haircuts. Kanarek’s boutique offers well-preserved men’s clothes spanning the early 1940s through the Kennedy administration.
While Los Angeles boutique Decades offers a small array of men’s vintage, it may not offer enough to support a growing demand, said Sarah Bergman, manager of The Way We Wore, another leading vintage boutique in Los Angeles. Men seeking a vintage suit are typically forced to cruise thrift stores, Bergman said. Finding clothes with a good fit can be happenstance. “This is high style,” she said of Jake Vintage’s collection.
Kanarek said no suit at his store retails for more than $400, except for some tuxedos. He also sells $249 sunglasses by designer Allyn Scura and other accessories such as a ring fromthe Freemasons fraternal order.
High-style men’s vintage appeals to many lovers of trends gone by. Not only did Bergman attend the party, but Academy Award–nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips dropped by the event with designer Jeremy Scott. Hip-hop entertainer and designer Fonzworth Bentley made an appearance, too.
Kanarek, a first-time entrepreneur, said his 1,100-squarefoot shop will serve several markets. It will rent clothes to film productions, TV shows and editorial shoots. The store carries clothing for music fans who want to dress like Elvis Presley or John Lennon in their youthful prime as well as styles for men who want to put some pizazz into a dull wardrobe. With that in mind, the shop will hold seminars on style and grooming.
The debut of Jake Vintage represents the resolution of a journey back to health for Kanarek. For 20 years, the store owner worked as a salesman for Los Angeles photography stores, such as Samy’s Camera, and as a freelance lighting tech. But he was forced into a career change in May 2006 after he had a back operation to remove a crushed vertebra. He could no longer do the kind of lifting his former jobs required. For a second career, he decided to pursue his avocation: vintage clothing. Before opening the store, he spent 20 hours a week shopping for vintage clothes. He built up contacts with vintage dealers. Kanarek also knew what estate sales to shop. (Many are located outside California, in the Midwest and the South.) With a $75,000 loan, he took a chance by opening the boutique this year. Kanarek made a great entry with his retail gamble. Esquire magazine, in its September 2007 issue, named him a finalist in “The Best- Dressed Real Men in America.”
As a top vintage dresser, one of Kanarek’s recommendations is to mix contemporary colorful shirts and ties with vintage togs. “It makes a bold statement out of a 1950s gray chalk-stripe suit,” he said.—Andrew Asch
