Good News and Bad News for Vintage Clothing

Bad news: Three independently owned vintage clothing stores on San Pablo Avenue have gone out of business recently.

Good news: Twister’s Vintage is surviving and still strong! And it’s no wonder. Walking into the store is like taking a trip back in time, when knitted sweaters with a bowling ball and pins could be spotted in a bowling alley, and prom dresses always necessitated fluffs and frills wherever possible. Twister’s is home to rack upon rack of men’s and women’s clothing from the 1920s to 1980s.

Andrea, the store owner, and Janna, who works there, both dress to kill, and it’s clear they love what they do.

They patiently spent several hours with me as I meandered around the store oohing and aahing over all the little treasures, asking for help finding the painfully specific items I needed. There is a whole wall displaying hats, a bin full of quirky glasses frames, and shoes and accessories galore! Some items may not be within the budget of college students, but there is always a rack outside of items marked down to $5 to $10.

This insanely decorated silk robe was only $20

and could be matched with these funky $25 slipper.

Twister’s is holding a parking lot sale with Mignonne Custom Furniture on November 14th, 2009. Great deals and steals: many items are priced under $20.

You can visit Twister's Vintage at 2445 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA 94702. It's right in between San Pablo and Dwight. BARE will see you there!

Lisa Levin

BARE Reporter