Connie Jones has always gravitated to vintage clothes and items from a young age. Still, she never thought she would own such a large collection of vintage European ski wear. “I grew up looking at my parents’ pictures,” says Jones. “I loved the way they dressed in the ‘60’s. And I grew up listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones. I’ve always had an interest in vintage items, whether they’re hard goods or clothing.” About seven years ago, Jones had accumulated extra clothes she needed to sell. She made an online account on a resale platform, where she discovered someone else selling an ‘80’s ski jacket. Later, she joined a vintage clothing social media group, where she became friends with a European stranger. The two bonded over their mutual interest, until four years ago, when he asked her if she would be interested in a collection of vintage ski suits. She said yes, and the suits have been showing up ever since. “The first year he only had 32,” says Jones. “Then the second year, it was like 70. And it just got bigger and bigger. And so this year I had 200.” Jones has turned to Facebook Marketplace, where she says word of mouth is spreading. “They’re like, I’m going to tell my friends and family,” she says. “And it just spirals from there.” Jones says prospective buyers are often shocked as they walk upstairs to her living room, where she’s storing this year’s batch for the time being. Each suit costs $175, due to the expense of importing heavy vintage suits from her friend’s store in Italy. She says the vintage ones are much more visually memorable than a new one, and no one else will be wearing anything like it. Jones has shipped the suits all over the country, but she recommends visiting in person to make sure the suit fits. “People really love coming (to the house). It’s always really fun. You know, we get the family and the friends involved. I hold their phones while they FaceTime everybody, while they’re doing their fashion show.”
