Something Borrowed, Never New City Guide: Nashville
Howdy!
I am excited to share the first Something Borrowed, Never New City Guide. Today we’re, putting on our cowboy boots and kicking it off with Nashville!
These won’t be your typical city guides, telling you what top ten tourist sites to see, Instead, a resource for the best vintage, slow-fashion, and sustainable shops, each city has to offer. You might also find just a few must-try restaurants and bars— because thrifting can work up an appetite!
SHOP
Vintage & Secondhand Shops
High Class Hillbilly- If you’re searching for true vintage western wear, this is the go-to! I scored a 1950s Levi’s suede fringe jacket at their outpost inside the Indigo Hotel (see photo below!)
Black Shag Vintage - Half of the shop is filled with vintage music shirts and records to complement them, in the other section of the store you will find leather jackets, great jeans, and everything in between.
toro- y2k dreams come true here at toro- think Juicy sweatsuits, low-rise jeans, and a wide selection of Victoria's Secret babydolls, very niche but they have them all.
Garage Sale Vintage- Not sure if this is the best vintage or the best bar in Nashville. You can order a margarita while you shop, they have a constantly curated playlist and a wide variety of preloved pieces, I found everything from an old *NSYNC shirt to a Valentino feather kaftan.
Savant _Vintage fits and furnishings on 12th South. You are guaranteed to find denim and leather jackets, maybe some preloved Pendleton and big 'ol’ belt buckle so you’ll fit right in at the honkey tonks.
Grimey’s - If you collect old vinyl, Grimey’s is a must while in the Music City. The two-story space has thousands of preloved records, CDs, and cassettes. I found a vintage Dolly Parton I’ve had playing nonstop now.
Don’t miss the Nashville Vintage Show on February 17th-18th, 2023.
Ethical Shops
The Good Fill recently opened in Nashville, a beautifully designed spot to reduce waste by refilling everything and anything you could need for your home as well as plastic-free alternatives. There’s also Sage Refill Market.
Thistle Farms - All of their natural products are made by women survivors from their program healing from trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Their Nashville headquarters has a delicious cafe and their body balm with solve all winter dry skin.
You can visit Nashville-based Nisolo’s showroom. The brand focuses on sustainable and ethical production practices, all of which are made by artisans in developing countries using traditional techniques. Nisolo's mission is to improve the lives of their artisans by providing fair wages and safe working conditions, while also reducing the environmental impact of fashion production. Nisolo also partners with Soles for Souls to reclaim your preloved shoes.
Imogene + willie is a Nashville fan-favorite for denim, but what we love about them is their life-long guarantee for repairs.
EAT
Thistle Farms Cafe is the best spot for a seasonal menu while supporting a great cause. For dinner, Locust is a must- Food and Wine named them Best Restaurant of 2022. Do not sleep on dessert, the kakigori-inspired shaved ice had an egg york from chickens on a farm nearby that only lay eggs for Locust.
I would love to hear from you- What other cities would you want secondhand and sustainable shopping city guides for? Leave a comment below!
Something borrowed, never new is written by Hilliary and edited by Juliana Radich.
Hilliary is a climate advocate who is passionate about sustainability practices within the fashion industry. She has ten years of experience working in fashion marketing and recently graduated from Columbia University with a Master’s in Sustainability.
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