New appointment-only vintage store opening in downtown Tacoma
A new shop in downtown Tacoma has the feel of a Parisian boutique — ornate, antique mirrors leaning against the wall, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and linen, lace and silk clothing hanging from each rack.
Continuum Vintage, 713 St. Helen’s Ave., Suite 111, recently had its soft opening and will officially open the week of May 25.
The business model is a bit different — the store is appointment-only, with monthly pop-ups for walk-in shoppers.
“Private appointments are going to allow people to just, like, take a deep breath. You don’t have to fight for pieces with other people … it’s just really all about you,” said store owner Aleasha Posey.
Continuum Vintage first started in 2021 as an online store. That was right around the time Posey moved to Tacoma and wanted a fresh start.
Thrifting was already an interest of hers — she worked as an event planner right out of college and said she didn’t have the budget to dress the part.
“I was thrifting and shopping in consignment stores, really any way I could get my hands on nice clothes secondhand.”
Sustainability was also important to Posey. Continuum’s website encourages “conscious consumerism” and getting away from fast fashion.
As the online store grew, Posey eventually started selling her collection at Hoste, a vintage shop in Seattle.
A couple of years later, she learned about the open space on St. Helens Avenue through her friend Jess Madsen, who runs the nearby event venue Atelier.
When Posey looks for pieces to add to Continuum’s collection, she said, she focuses on things like fabric, quality and eye-catching details, like embroidery, lace and beading. Descriptors like timeless, chic, girly and European come to mind.
She finds clothes anywhere and everywhere – that includes trips to local stores and two trips to France each year.
“[It’s] like treasure hunting … everything there is so old,” Posey said. “People get really excited about things I’m bringing home from Europe.”
Later this month, she’ll also head to an antique flea market in Massachusetts to find new items.
While other vintage store owners spend lots of time curating their collection, Posey said Continuum offers a “completely different experience.”
Private appointments require a $125 nonrefundable booking fee, which can be then used as credit toward purchases. Posey said she’ll also have water and champagne available, and might be able to set aside some pieces for each customer beforehand.
There’s a range of prices in store, with some items under $20 and lots of pieces in the $50-$100 range.
For those who want to come in and browse, Continuum will have monthly pop-ups for walk-in shoppers – the next pop-up will be June 26th. The online store remains up and running.
In the future, Posey said, she wants to open the space to host craft nights, workshops, book clubs and more.
More generally, she wants the store to be “the epitome of girlhood.”
“I want it to be a really great space for people to just be and hang out, and a place to dress up,” Posey said.
