Cosmic Wolf Vintage is a vintage shop founded by Kristin Thomas in 2011. It’s located on the second floor of Unhinged in Sugar House (2165 Highland Drive). Thomas’ interest in selling vintage clothing is heavily influenced by the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
“The biggest thing for me is the music,” says Thomas. “I feel like the music inspired me with the clothing and the clothing inspires me with the music.”
While living in California, Thomas studied under a woman who taught her the art of picking vintage clothing for resale. “She taught me how to recognize where the clothing was from by certain parts of the clothing and when it was made,” Thomas recalls. For example, Thomas learned to distinguish the year a pair of Levi’s jeans were made simply by observing the label.
Originally, Cosmic Wolf Vintage was primarily an online operation. However, when Thomas returned to Salt Lake City in 2015, she looked to establish a physical presence for her business. First, Thomas joined with Mayberry Vintage on Broadway, then briefly partnered with Love Street Salvage before settling into her current location in September 2016. Since then, Thomas has attracted quite a following; mostly people ranging between the ages of 21 to 28 who are looking for a unique style.
“For the most part, the majority of my customers are college students,” says Thomas. “My clothing, actually, is priced the same as today’s clothing. It’s important for me to price it affordably, because I want people to choose vintage over new and support not only local, but higher-quality made clothing.”
For more on Cosmic Wolf Vintage, visit their Facebook page.