Fashionably Late

People wearing clothes from their parents’ or grandparents’ era aren’t in costume – they’re wearing fashionable things, albeit from another time. Terri Burt understands this and always has, as her vintage shop, The Nitty Gritty, celebrates ten years this month. “All that’s in fashion, it’s been done,” she says. “These clothes are made to last forever; it’s for people who want the real thing.”

 

Burt’s passion for past styles goes back to her teen years, when she took to wearing items from her mother’s college days. Back then, there were lots of vintage clothing shops in the Highlands – primarily on Bardstown Road – but by the time Burt opened The Nitty Gritty (named for a Southern Culture on the Skids lyric) in 2000, hers was the only one catering to people who, like her, appreciate the workmanship of days gone by. 

 

“I opened [the store] for people to wear [the fashions] on a daily basis, but I’ve seen how it’s evolved into a costume,” she says of those who seek out her store for theme party attire. Still, some of the styles continue to evoke an aesthetic that Don Draper would identify as nostalgia. “I did a ‘Mad Men’ fashion show this past summer, the day the third season premiered,” she says, referring to the popular AMC drama set in a New York advertising agency of the early 1960s. “I was really hoping Halloween would be big, but it blew me away,” she says of the customer response to the show.

 

The quirky character of the Barret Avenue corridor – Lynn’s Paradise Café is a neighbor – lends itself to fun, and Burt kicked off the monthlong anniversary with a party on April 3 featuring live music and a show of local artists, whom Burt enjoys promoting in her store. 

 

Besides collecting estate pieces from as far back as the 1920s, Burt stocks newer pieces and works of art to complement the vintage style. She also enjoys shopping for hats, which have made The Nitty Gritty a destination in itself for Derby style seekers. “I sell a lot of menswear too,” she says. “There’s not a lot of [vintage] places for men to shop. Guys want to dress fun, too.”

 

It’s not only about fun, but also about timeless durability. “Today everything is so cheaply made, even if you’re paying a lot for it,” Burt laments. “I love the [old] fabrics, the cuts, the tailoring, the buttons, the stitching, the quality ... It’s so much fun to wear.”

 

Burt doesn’t feel that she’s in danger of being undiscovered because she’s off the beaten Bardstown Road path. “When I first opened, I thought, ‘I have to be over there.’ But you can get lost on Bardstown Road. I’ve found a little neighborhood that is artsy and people are very friendly and it’s just a really nice place to be.” 

 

And the clothes may keep getting older, but never truly outmoded, thanks to people who’ve made vintage wear part of their lives today. Burt says her biggest focus this month is to thank the city. “I feel so fortunate to say that I have been here ten years,” she says. “I’d love to do this for another ten years.”

 

The Nitty Gritty is located at 996 Barret Avenue (on the corner of Hepburn Avenue) in the Original Highlands. You can get a look at it using modern technology at www.nittygrittyvintage.com or by calling (502) 583-3377.