It’s fall, and that only means one thing for the fashion world: Fall Fashion Week in New York City. For Binghamton, it only means more rain. So in the spirit of fashion week, Release ventured to Ithaca for some unique style a little closer to our home away from home.
Located in the Ithaca Commons, about an hour-long drive from Binghamton University, Petrune is a vintage clothing store that offers garments and accessories dating all the way back to the Victorian era and ranging right up to the here and now. Petrune truly is a blast from the past. The entire aesthetic of the place is designed with the good old days in mind. Lining the various shelves and clothing racks are not just your momma’s bell-bottoms, but your grandma’s and maybe even your great grandma’s too.
Petrune is co-owned by antique connoisseurs Domenica Brockman and Justin Hjortshoj, who originally ran an antique shop in New York City. Eventually they resolved to bring some big city flair to the upstate region, moving their business to the Ithaca Antiques Mall. There they had initially devoted only a small section to vintage clothing and accessories. The transition to full-on fashion occurred just three years ago with the ribbon cutting on the South Cayuga location.
Nostalgic relics serve as little reminders everywhere — a dog-eared LIFE magazine with yellowed pages, touting “Susie Homemaker” ads circa 1950, sits daintily on a coffee table and a 1960s Dinah Washington vinyl croons dreamily in the background. The idea is to recreate an atmosphere of days long gone. Natasha Keller, store manager, said this is the effect the owners are trying to achieve at Petrune.
“That’s the spirit of the store — what we are is vintage,” Keller said.
Well-versed in everything antique, co-owners Brockman and Hjortshoj both have backgrounds in fine arts. This, no doubt, is what gave them their keen eyes for classic clothing and timeless trends.
According to Keller, the co-owners seek out their stock from Salvation Army stores, as well as church and estate sales. A surprising amount is said to come from vendors within the local Ithaca region.
Keller also mentioned that the most frequently revisited looks, especially where the college-aged clientele are concerned, hail from the 1950s and 1980s, while items from the 1800s and 1920s are especially rare. Whatever (and whenever) your style, Petrune is pretty much guaranteed to have it covered. They offer attire for men and women, flappers and hepcats. They even cater to the modern crowd, for those of you who prefer your clothes to be as new as your produce. Some of Petrune’s fresher trends include Seychelles brand peep-toe pumps, multi-colored berets and prim pea coats for the cooler weather ahead.
So whether you’re looking to dress to the nines, or the ’90s, for that matter, Petrune will in no way disappoint.
Can’t get enough Petrune? Visit their Web site at petrune.com for directions, photos and inspired fashion tips.