As the weather is warming up, walking around downtown Elizabethtown and visiting the host of locally owned businesses lining the streets is a great way to spend a weekend or an afternoon. If you do, be sure to visit Persian Cat Vintage, a clothing and accessories shop located at 206 South Market Street, the same building as Whirligig Unique Boutique and EVO 206 Coffee Co.
Persian Cat Vintage was started by Benjamin Ilkhanoff, who started his business selling antiques online until he opened his shop in Elizabethtown about a month ago. The store operates from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sundays.
The walls are filled with racks of clothes, ranging from various band t-shirts to sports jackets to vintage nightgowns. There are also shoes, some jewelry pieces, patches and other trinkets available. All of the items seem very reasonably priced, though many of the pieces don’t have their prices listed directly on them so you may have to ask.
Ilkhanoff prides himself on making his products affordable, and even offers a 10 percent discount for both students and faculty at Etown as long as you bring your campus ID. He cited his understanding of the age-old college student dilemma of never having enough cash for his interest in keeping prices low.
He also expressed his passion for giving the inventory he’s curated a new life, so people can continue to enjoy them as part of their current style decades later. Plus, it’s better for the environment, since they’re avoiding a future in a landfill, and stores like Persian Cat Vintage give shoppers a choice to reject fast fashion and keep a culture of over-consumption at bay.
I recently went with my friend, and we both left satisfied with our finds. The shop featured a ‘70s and ‘80s rock-and-roll atmosphere, and there was a wide selection of pieces from the era. My friend ended up buying an iron-on patch with the logo for the band Ghost, whose music she really likes, for two dollars. I found a denim jacket with a wool lining for $40, and though I was deliberating on whether to buy it, I decided to go for it and went back after also visiting Whirligig.
The store is rather small right now, consisting of only one main area and a space to the side, but Ilkhanoff is constantly working on building up the collection. He also frequently rotates out the stock to keep things fresh.
While there, my friend and I spent some time browsing before we found the things we wanted to purchase, and Ilkhanoff made himself available for any potential questions about the items or their pricing. Once we were finished shopping, we stuck around for a conversation with him, during which he was friendly and enthusiastic about his shop and vintage items in general.
Overall, I had a great experience, and I’ll likely return with some other friends to see what else might fit my style.
To learn more, visit the Persian Cat Vintage website at persiancatvintage.com or email Ilkhanoff at persiancatvintage@gmail.com.
