Glory Days Vintage brings fashion, memory and community together in Leavenworth

While antique galleries celebrate the historic longevity of century-old pieces, vintage stores revel in the nostalgia of a not-so-distant past. When customers come into Leavenworth’s Glory Days Vintage, owner Glory MacKenna says one of their most common reactions begins with the phrase, “I remember this...”

“There's a lot of sharing of memories between the customers. That's one of my favorite things about vintage, is just that you come across things that you already love, and they have a place in your past,” said MacKenna. “And you can bring that positive forward.”

MacKenna sells vintage clothes, records, comics, and more inside Glory Days, located in the Basement Collective on Ninth Street. Her inventory is also sold at Brassbound Collective, which sells goods from local vendors and makers inside Cashmere’s Side Street.

When she’s not operating Glory Days, she’s constantly sourcing new inventory from far and wide, resurrecting items that have long been stashed in the backs of closets and in boxes in the garage.

“Sometimes you're finding things that need some repair, and obviously, some laundering…You have to bring it back to life in a way. It still has some intrinsic value, but it takes your eye, your “curation” eye, to realize if it has enough value,” said MacKenna.

Hunting for vintage gems started as a hobby for MacKenna, who grew up hopping from one yard sale to another with her grandmother, who also had an appreciation for timeless treasures. As she continued the practice into adulthood, it took on new meaning.

“I'm committed to it because of, for one, the environmental impact…There's so many great things already on the planet that we don't need to keep making new things, especially making them out of materials that are not good for the planet…Materials that break down in the actual functional usage, but not in the environment,” said MacKenna.

While the environmental benefit speaks to her, MacKenna says her customers gravitate toward vintage for a number of different reasons. For some, it's an investment in an item that has passed the test of time, both in quality and in value. For others, it offers a uniqueness that can’t be found in modern clothing stores.

“I just encourage people — in their own wardrobes and their own fashion experience in their journey — to not feel limited. Take that opportunity to use fashion as your voice...Let it be expressive of who you are, what you stand for,” said MacKenna.

Leavenworth locals may remember MacKenna from her first Leavenworth business, Jedenfalls. MacKenna sold vintage items and art with her dad, who would paint in the window during business hours. When he passed away, MacKenna pivoted toward selling items through other established venues, such as the Apple Annie Antique Gallery in Cashmere and Simply Unique in Wenatchee.

While MacKenna was looking for a reason to return to vintage sales full-time, the impetus came when two community-minded business collectives formed around similar times: Leavenworth Basement Collective and Side Street Cashmere.

“[The Basement Collective] had several things they were trying to start and create with the community in mind and with family in mind…[Side Street] also appealed to me for the same kind of reason — that concept of bringing all those community opportunities into one building,” said MacKenna.

The cooperative-style retail model has proven successful for Glory Days. In Side Street, Brassbound Collective receives a steady flow of local customers either wandering in from other Side Street businesses, or returning specifically for Brassbound. In the Basement Collective, Glory Days accommodates late-night shoppers coming from the Blind Tigress, a speakeasy across the hall.

This month, MacKenna will celebrate her one-year anniversary of Glory Days (her true anniversary is Dec. 13, but celebrations were postponed due to storm-related closures). As she looks toward the future, she plans to incorporate more events, such as fashion shows, makers markets, and sip and shop nights.

“Things that are great for locals. So, in the seasons that we don't have so much tourism, but we still want to appreciate and love our own little town, and actually get to enjoy it,” said MacKenna.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media