CONQUER VINTAGE
Peep this: DOPE VINTAGE SHOP you can find in JERSEY CITY
Editorial Hairstylist Gianna Corrao lets us in on her secret spot for finding bomb vintage clothing in JC.
Current status: sipping my morning coffee, listening to The Doors, and getting completely amped to tell you all about VERY, my favorite little vintage shop in downtown Jersey City. Ever since they opened in 2014, popping into VERY has become my weekend ritual, and the owners – my homies!
I first met one of the owners Israel “Izzy” Bermeo, on a night out in downtown Jersey City in the summer of 2014. He was such an interesting dude, and I was so pumped when he told me about his new vintage shop VERY, which he had just opened up right down the block from my apartment. At that time, I was so uninspired by what our local vintage shops had to offer – I always found that they never quite "got me" or had what I was looking for, so I couldn’t wait to go and check out his shop.
The next afternoon (after finally fully recovering from my rock star night out in JC with Izzy) I made my way over to VERY. Instantly I was greeted by his business partner Matthew McKay, who, to my delight had the same passion as Izzy did for their little shop on Erie Street, and for the Jersey City community in general. I took one look around the store, and within minutes, had practically wiped out their inventory and filled my bag with distressed band tees, flannels, reworked denim, vinyl, and anything else I could get my hands on.
Finally, a spot for laid-back, wearable vintage, and right in Jersey City no less! I instantly knew that VERY was going to be my new holy grail, the answer to my vintage-seeking prayers.
The best part is, in addition to having a killer inventory, Izzy and Matt are really on top of restocking their merch. They house everything from clothing, to local artwork, to custom furniture and even home decor. Most recently, they’ve teamed up with fashion designer Diego “Ferdie” Ortega on reworked vintage pieces, and are also carrying some of his original designs.
VERY constantly opposes the vintage shop stereotype by offering a broader, more relatable perspective, while incorporating the past with their own unique, creative vision – which is what keeps me checking back in for more swag week after week.
So stop in, check out their new fall collection, pick up some dope shit, and quite possibly – a mid-afternoon hangover with your new homies Izzy and Matt.
Address: 9 Erie St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Phone: (201) 332-2806
Written by Gianna Corrao
Edited by Ashlee Hillier
Photography Shawn Jordan