After moving back to her hometown of Fayetteville to take care of her aging father and suffering an injury that kept her from her former hobby of running, Michelle Clark started going to estate sales, yard sales and thrift shops to add to her vintage collection. She initially planned to start an online store to sell the dresses she had accumulated. Then she and her husband began doing pop-up events and selling pieces in person. 

Clark had considered opening a storefront, but it had seemed like a pipe dream. Then one day, the couple drove past an inviting space on Fort Bragg Road and noticed it was empty. Clark was determined to find the owner and acquire the space for her new storefront. Clark and her husband, Jamil Rashad, opened Westdale Vintage at 1225 Fort Bragg Road in Historic Haymount in October 2024. 

“Everybody in the neighborhood has been so supportive. And it’s really, I think, the only place I would have even dared to open a store, just because of the neighborhood and all of our fellow small businesses around there, and just how much it’s growing,” remarked Clark.

The store features both men’s and women’s vintage pieces. Men’s features include 1930s workwear, vintage tees, suits and satin jackets. The women’s collection features vintage denim, maxi dresses from the 70s, furs, leather jackets, casual wear, 50s dresses, and then in the back room, Clark houses a collection of formal wear that customers can rent for events. 

The rental service allows people to rent an item worth several hundred dollars for a fraction of the price. 

“I’m open to any type of rental, just because I think it gives people the opportunity to wear something that they really love, but they may not want to own…instead of paying $300-$400 for something that may sit in your closet, you can rent it for, say, $75,” shared Clark.

Otrebla’s Tailoring is located right by Westdale Vintage, and Clark shared that she has worked with the owner Alberto many times to help alter pieces to meet customers’ wants and needs. Clark is also self-taught in garment restoration. 

Beyond thrifting and estate sales, Clark shared that she offers to clean out people’s attics as a trade for discovering valuable vintage items. Now that the store has been open for over a year and has an established customer base, people contact Clark when they have collections or pieces that they want to sell. 

“I had this amazing gentleman reach out to me, and his partner had passed away, and his partner collected wedding gowns and formal, fully beaded gowns and would display them on mannequins in the house. And he was like, ‘There’s just a lot, and I have to figure out what to do with it. Will you come look at it?’ So I bought all of it from him,” shared Clark. 

These vintage items in the store have timeless charm and were manufactured to last decades, much different than today’s fast fashion brands. 

“Nothing’s made the way that it was 30, 40, a hundred years ago,” remarked Clark.

Sustainability plays a big role in inspiring Clark’s passion for vintage fashion. She sees vintage as a direct alternative to cheap, disposable clothing made largely from synthetic fibers. She enjoys curating and restoring pieces that inspire other people to give old clothes a new life. 

“My biggest joy has been seeing girls come in and buy prom dresses…I think there’s a lot of peer pressure surrounding high school girls and prom, and coming in and making a decision to think about sustainability, and then buying a gown and giving it new life, and then also knowing that there’s not anybody at your prom that’s going to look like you. No one’s going to have the same dress as you... and you’re paying a fraction of the cost, while, again, saving something from a landfill,” shared Clark. 

Clark sees the value in pieces that others might overlook. 

“I buy most of our items, so they’re not being donated to me. I’m washing, I’m mending, I’m looking at a gown that I have been soaking and bathing for like two weeks straight now, and I finally got all the stains out. That’s another joy too, is just seeing a piece come back to life,” added Clark. 

She also relishes watching customers make emotional connections with the items in the shop. In addition to the clothing, the space is decorated with vintage furniture and decor.

“A lot of my joy is seeing other people’s joy and happiness from discovering vintage.” 

Clark’s goals for the coming year include fully launching and marketing the gown rental program, hosting events and classes in the shop, organizing a fashion show highlighting both vintage and sustainable styling and collaborating more with local partners. 

Clark and her husband look forward to the journey ahead: more risk, more creativity and more chances to give clothing and people a new chapter.

View Westdale Vintage’s inventory and available services on their website: www.westdalevintage.com.