Yakima Style: Eclectricities - Yakima Herald-Republic

Posted: 07 Feb 2020 06:00 AM PST

Yves Saint Laurent once said that fashions fade, but style is eternal. If you're searching for a wardrobe piece with timeless style, vintage might be the way to go. You'll find luxurious handcrafted clothing and accessories at "Eclectricities," a vintage store that opened in Glenwood Square last April. It is packed with fabulous treasures from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Owner Geanette Strosahl has been in the high-end clothing business most of her life. She holds a degree in art history from Washington State University, and a master's in clothing design from Central Washington. Her first job was at I. Magnin in Seattle — an iconic, now defunct department store downtown. She then started a custom sewing business for women, where she learned how to create clothes that fit her clients' body shape, skin tone and personal style.

She certainly has style herself. When I first met her, she was wearing a vintage olive-green knit suit that fit her like a glove, accessorized with an animal print scarf and booties. On another visit, she was dressed in a floor-length turquoise dress, topped off with a big string of pearls.

To her, clothes are a form of expression.

"If you're a courtroom attorney, your clothes can affect how you are perceived as being professional and correct and right and strong," she said. "If you're an artist in fashion like myself, then for me it's expression in terms of the art form of dressing and of clothing. If you are a worker in a mechanic shop you want to make sure your clothing is functional."

She hand-picks and curates the items in her store, sometimes buying entire lots from major collectors. She described a trove she recently discovered, much to her surprise, at Granny's Attic in Union Gap. "I went in there … I walked into this room and went…" she said, faking heavy breathing — "there was this whole collection. I had goosebumps." She bought it on the spot.

They don't make clothes like that anymore, unless you're shopping at Prada or Chanel, she said.

"What you get is beautiful fabrics and design, wonderful lining," Strosahl said. "Couture-type construction and details that you really don't find that much today. The cut, the number of pieces to make the garment. Nowadays, it's all about how quickly you can make it."

She's got vintage clothes and accessories for men and women, in addition to items she designed and new items from other designers. Her sewing machine is at the back of the store, ready to alter a garment that doesn't fit quite right, or mend anything that needs fixing.

She said sometimes vintage clothes may have a little flaw, but they're still more interesting than many items you can buy new.

"I've got things I've worn for 20, 30 years in my wardrobe. Somewhat different, but timeless," Strosahl said.

Vintage also fits into a new trend towards being a less disposable society. Reusing clothes is better for the environment than constantly buying new ones and throwing the old ones away, she believes.

"People in this country are more and more aware of the garbage and the waste that we have and how it affects the entire world, even our oceans," she said.

Many of her vintage items are great bargains. Plus, it's just plain fun to sport some great new duds you won't see on anyone else in town.

"For me, I wake up every morning and just say 'Carpe diem' to that outfit," she smiled, Cheshire-like, in her electric blue dress.

Joe Pa's Closet To Hold Vintage Clothing THON Fundraiser - Onward State

Posted: 13 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST

Courtesy of Zac Cowell

If you've been active on Instagram at any point over the past year, chances are you've heard of Joe Pa's Closet, the Instagram page that specializes in selling vintage Penn State clothing. Created and managed by Penn State senior Zac Cowell, the account took off over the summer, garnering thousands of new followers due to collaborated giveaways with other popular Instagram accounts.

Now, Cowell is using his platform FTK.

As of last week, Cowell is running a completely donation-driven THON fundraiser where anyone can donate their Penn State clothing to be sold on Joe Pa's Closet.

Because this fundraiser is running entirely on donations, one hundred percent of the proceeds will be able to be donated to THON. The fundraiser and donation window will end in the second week of February when it will conclude with a sale of the donations in the HUB, with some of the more uncommon pieces being auctioned off on Instagram. The exact date of this sale has yet to be determined, but will be announced on Joe Pa's Closet.

Since the page has gained more and more of a fanbase, Cowell has been able to branch off from solely selling his vintage pieces online, teaming up with Doggie's Pub several times throughout this past semester to provide fans with a physical location to shop for their newest vintage duds. The account has grown to have more than 9,500 followers.

Those interested in donating their Penn State clothing should contact [email protected] or direct message the Instagram page for more information.

Please choose an option below.

Katie Moats is a junior majoring in English, and although she says she's from Chicago, she could spit and it would hit Wisconsin. One time she studied abroad for about a minute and decided to get an entire tattoo on her body about it. If you like seeing Penn State-themed retweets and other stupid memes, you can follow her @k_moats24 on Twitter. All email inquiries must be written in the form of a poem and may be sent to [email protected]