Q&A with The Green Man Vintage and Vinyl

The Green Man Vintage and Vinyl is one of Prince Edward Island’s best shopping/hunting experiences. The walls are painted vibrant colors, the mannequins are impeccably dressed, and the owners are beyond helpful. Most vintage stores, can be a hit and miss experience. Who hasn’t spent frustrating hours at Value Village rifling through racks of cast off, shiny, Surf Style gear in the hopes of finding something unique? This never happens at The Green Man. Even if I plan on just browsing I usually leave with new earrings( glass beads, locally made!), or a wicked pair of red sunglasses that make me look and feel like David Bowie. I also feel less guilty shopping at Green Man than when I buy at other stores. I’m saving money, wearing something wholly original, and reusing, rather then consuming.

So, since I’m such a fan I did a little Q&A with the owners Roger Carter and Kelly Caseley a few months ago. Here it is!

Q. Have you owned a business before, and what kind of future plans do you have for this store?

A. This is a first for both Roger and I. We both have some retail experience and I have experience with visual merchandising(window displays etc.). As for our plans for the store, we hope to introduce one-on-one design services by the end of our second year. I would sit down with the customer and design a garment with them, keeping in mind their body shape, coloring, and the function of the garment. I also plan to start making one of a kind pieces, both new and restructured vintage pieces. I'd love to offer workshops on silk-screening, and pattern making, and clothing swaps are another idea. We also have several local craftspeople and designers working on lines for the store. We really have too many ideas!

Q. Do you two have a background in fashion and what kind of clientele shops at The Green Man?

A. My background is in Fashion. I studied at The International Academy of Art and Design in Montreal. Since then I've been doing freelance dress making and costume design. Roger has a music background, He's been playing live music in and around Charlottetown and Montreal for the past 15 years.

As for our clientele, it’s pretty varied. We get a lot of high school students who are discovering vintage clothing for the first time, their energy is great. It's so much fun to watch people experience the store for the first time. Conversely, we get a lot of people who wore the clothes in our store forty years ago. They enjoy the store as a bit of a walk down memory lane...we go from the 40's right up to present day, so you can really see the evolution of modern dressing here.

Q. What kind of tips can you offer vintage shoppers and is there such a thing as a fashion faux pas?


A. The only tips I can really offer to shoppers is to try it on! Sizing has changed a lot in the past twenty years, and a number on a tag from the 60's has little to do with modern sizing. And be gentle, a thirty year old dress needs to be treated gently, buttons and zippers may not be as strong as they once were.
But as far as fashion goes, just look for what you like. The only real fashion faux pas is buying into current trends 100%. Make your own mind up about what looks good on you and what makes you feel comfortable and confident.

Q. What designers inspire you?

A. I like a wide range of designers, and am often inspired by industrial designers rather than fashion designers. But three designers whose collections I go back to again and again are Yohi Yamamoto, Alexander MacQueen, and Rodarte.

Q. The Green Man also has an extensive record selection, why buy a record?

A. Vinyl plays the same way that instruments or the voice work, with vibration. Digital recordings play back at us in bits of sound thrown out at high speed, think of a fluorescent light. Most music lovers prefer the warmth and depth that vinyl emits, but digital is far more portable, and has the advantage that way. We try and cater to vinyl collectors, and so we only stock albums of some value. Many record stores have a lot of 'filler' albums, which have little to no value, but simply serve to round out the stock and make the selection look bigger.

Q. Do you think there is certain culture surrounding vintage clothes?

A. I think there is a culture surrounding vintage clothing. It's often people involve in the arts or other creative industries that are interested in vintage pieces. And people who just aren't satisfied with the limited options available to them. Retail chains are not really known for going out on a limb and selling pieces really different from what all the other stores in their price range are selling. And really who wants to go to class or work and find that you're wearing the cookie cutter image of what the person next to you is wearing? Or worse yet, the exact same thing?

Q. How does PEI compare to bigger cities in terms of style?

A. PEI is starting to catch up with larger centers as far as consumer fashion is concerned. The introduction of stores offering cheap, seasonal, fad driven pieces, over the past 5 years has increased, and with them the desire to stay on top of trends. But real style can't be bought in a store...it's probably somewhere in your closet already. We don't have a lot of fashion forward people on the Island, but they are emerging...hopefully The Green Man can help.