New streetwear shop in downtown Tacoma taps into ’90s nostalgia, including anime
Hidden across the street from Sanford and Son’s Antiques in downtown Tacoma is a new used clothing shop setting itself apart from others on the block.
Inside 728 Broadway St., once home to Full Moon Flea Market which closed in May, stand racks of pants and T-shirts organized by color. ‘90s cartoons and advertisements play on a TV near the checkout counter, and older generation gaming console controllers sit ready to be played near a couch in the corner.
Hanging on the walls are owner Cecil Perez’s prize pieces: rare ‘90s T-shirts sporting colorful cartoon and anime characters like Yoshimitsu from Tekken, Spider-man and Gohan from Dragon Ball Z, some of which are worth thousands.
SIPS (which stands for Shop In Past Styles) is a passion project for Perez, a product of his eye and appreciation for the cartoons and animes he grew up watching and continues to love as an adult.
“A lot of the stuff I have on my wall are stuff I grew up watching or just stuff that I really admire. Animes, video games and all that stuff, was a heavy part of my childhood,” Perez said. “And I think a lot of people look past that. Because when people did vintage or buying stuff that’s older, they mainly look towards band shirts or actual military [gear]. I do carry some of that stuff, but I definitely want to highlight the stuff that wasn’t super popular to people back then, which is turning popular now.”
Growing up as the youngest of his family in the late 1990s, Perez said, he was always given hand-me-downs. After getting his first job as a teenager, Perez said, he was excited to buy retail clothing but quickly realized how expensive that became.
“After that, I was like, I’m going to go back to what I originally loved, which was buying second-hand clothing,” he said. “Because when I was buying retail clothing, I felt like I was everyone else. Not myself.”
Perez curates the shop by “sourcing through other people,” including collectors, friends and online curators. He’ll also attend vintage-clothing conventions nationwide and find clothing there to sell.
Perez said he wants to make second-hand shopping affordable: Most of his shirts and clothing range from $8-$20, although there are some rare pieces he’d part with for upwards of $1,500.
His focus is vintage clothing and “essential clothing,” for everyday wear. In the future Perez said he wants to sell coffee and imported drinks as well, creating a lounge-cafe vibe.
SIPS had its grand opening July 8. Perez got his start in Sanford and Son and said he’s excited to have a shop on the street level now.
That part of town is brightening up, “definitely a little bit more youthful, in my opinion,” he said.
SIPS
▪ Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Open Monday-Tuesday on an appointment-basis.
▪ Address: 728 Broadway, Tacoma
▪ Instagram: @SipsandKix
This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 11:03 AM.
