Vintage clothing, ironically, never seems to go out of style. And at Kudzu, you’ll not only find one of Atlanta’s best selections of vintage clothing and accessories, but one of the area’s leading experts on what to buy and when to buy it! We caught up with Channon Hunter recently to talk about what’s hip and happening in the world of vintage clothing.
Why do people buy vintage clothing?“Mostly to express their own personalities. It’s unique and a great fashion statement. Some people even buy it to be more environmentally conscious; they’re buying something that’s already been manufactured.”
Why do you love it, and where do you find your stuff?
“I love the hunt, love to shop, I’ve spent hours and hours shopping, looking around for things. But it’s fun for me. I go to a variety of different places. Garage sales, estate sales, people will come into store and bring in their grandmother’s old dress. It feels like a treasure hunt to me. I love it. And it doesn’t hurt that I’m obsessive-compulsive; I can go to a sale or a store and go through every single rack of clothing piece by piece. It’s what I love to do. And I’m lucky enough to able to make that into a living.”
So what’s trending right now in vintage clothing?
“For men, I’ve been selling a lot of military jackets, and also snap-front cowboy shirts. With women it runs the gamut. For women, theme parties are big. You know, 50s, Mad Men, that kind of thing. This winter I’ve sold a lot of the swing coats with fur collars. People seem willing to buy fur if their convinced it’s vintage and has been dead for awhile! As far as accessories, I sell a lot of hats, all styles but fedoras seem big; also 70s tooled-leather men’s belts. I seem to be selling a lot of 70s stuff . . . everyone says the 80s are big, but I have a few 80s outfits that aren’t moving. Everyone seems to like the 70s, they’re big, especially for men.”
Does interest in vintage clothing ever wane?
“It’s pretty constant. I can always count on steady interest. Men, surprisingly, seem more and more interested in vintage clothing. They’re being more individualistic, adding some color to their wardrobe. Women are usually the ones who are more expressive with their clothes, but that seems to be changing; men are more and more willing to be more expressive with their clothes. It’s cool.”
How about your tastes?
“I probably wear more 70s style than anything. It’s especially fun to wear vintage for special occasions . . . parties, weddings, that sort of thing. But mostly I just wear whatever I like. But that’s the beauty of vintage clothing; if it looks good to you, then it looks good! Buy what you like. Wear what you like. Be an individual.” 
