Plume Aspires to an Accessible Future for Vintage in Milwaukee

Entry racks inside of Plume Photo: Olivia Weiss

Plume Vintage sits on a quaint corner on Kinnickinnic in Bay View. With the nice breeze from the lake, it pairs perfectly with the rest of the unique shops in the area.

Inside is a timeless collection of vintage clothing ranging from dresses and blouses to cowboy boots. Not only are the clothes inviting, but so are the employees inside making it a pleasant environment to shop around in.

Owner Maggie Solveson, 34, opened up the storefront about four years ago to share her love for vintage, and more importantly, to make it accessible to everyone.

“I want to place an emphasis on all ages, all sizes, and all economic backgrounds,” said Solveson. “I want to be highly accessible while letting people feel sophisticated and stylish. I want everyone to come in and know that this is their city and this is their style.”

Street view of Plume Photo: Olivia Weiss

The vintage resale market has grown tremendously in the recent few years. The pandemic allowed the market to explode and brought a new perspective to both sellers and shoppers. While Plume has been around pre-pandemic, Solveson still saw a lot of the trend first-hand and shared that people were eager to support small businesses during that time.

In 2020, apps like Depop and eBay experienced a huge increase in usage on both ends. Shopping habits are always shifting to allow for constant change in the industry. There has been some controversy about whether or not people are pricing things ethically if they have been sourced so cheaply. Many vendors thrift locally, and people have questioned whether that’s fair to low-income shoppers who are only able to afford clothes from the thrift store.

According to the retail analytics firm GlobalData, the secondhand market is projected to reach $77 billion by 2025 which is over a 50% increase from the $36 billion in 2021. It’s no doubt that it has become more popular, and Solveson wants to be sure everyone is included in it, and no one is left behind. In order to achieve this, she keeps her prices as low as possible for customers. She wants to cater to everyone, and not just a niche group of people.

“I’m so glad to be tapping in on all ages,” Solveson said. “We have 80-year-old ladies shopping in here too. I’ve created a brand geared toward everybody. We focus on cultivating an environment and an atmosphere, not just a place to shop.”

While some are still skeptical about the ethics behind vintage resale, there are obviously counterarguments that talk a lot about the benefits. These may include saving money, saving the planet, and cutting down on packaging waste. Amazon has become commonplace for people to purchase fast fashion. Oceana released a report which revealed that Amazon generated an estimated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging in 2020 due to the increase in online shopping during the pandemic.

Plume believes in the positives of the industry and wants to push the narrative that any second-hand shopping is beneficial to the consumer and the earth.

“I really think there is enough for everybody,” shared Solveson. “Still, so much clothing winds up in dumps. This culture of second-hand shopping is awesome. It sets a precedent for anybody creating new clothing. New clothing is not going to be vintage because it falls apart in the wash. I have 100-year-old garments. If you shop at Target, it falls apart after a few washes.”

Employee Kirsten at the counter Photo: Olivia Weiss

Solveson has always loved fashion, and she found an outlet when shopping at thrift stores at the age of 15. By 17, she was selling stuff online through eBay. In 2022, she’s able to bring nearly 20 years of experience to the table, which many newcomers don’t have. She believes that the time she spent in vintage resale has really translated into her business. She’s been around for all the major trends and has an acquired eye for what people are looking for. The storefront has allowed her to build a closer connection with those who stop in.

“I feel emotionally invested in vintage,” said Solveson. “My favorite part is watching customers walk off with stuff that they feel really confident and powerful and beautiful in.”

Another unique aspect of Plume is the sourcing of its goods. Solveson travels all over the country to build a collection that appeals to many tastes. As the years go on, older vintage pieces are becoming fewer and farther between at typical thrift stores.

“I travel a lot,” Solveson shared. “I am no stranger to shopping around in Milwaukee, but I go all over the nation and internationally to source. Casting a wide net is important because stuff is different regionally. Every time I am driving to markets to sell, I am also driving to buy. That is something else that’s incredibly unique about the business. We are shopping everywhere.”

With summer just around the corner, Plume has plenty of upcoming events, including a street festival on June 18 with live DJs. Keep up with the store on Instagram @plume_vtg.