S10 Ep20 MESSY JESSY VINTAGE: Jessica Barr, a Brooklyn-based dealer - on opening a collaborative vintage showroom and her unexpected, growing specialty in vintage bridal.

Today we're chatting with Jessica Barr, owner of Messy Jessy Vintage, a Brooklyn-based vintage brand specializing in women's wear and bridal, with a showroom she shares with two fellow dealers and a rotating presence at markets and events across New York, including the Manhattan Vintage Show.

Jessica studied journalism in school, and became fascinated with sustainability and inequality in fashion — studies that eventually led her to a dedicated practice of secondhand shopping and, not long after, selling vintage itself.

Her real education in vintage came post-grad, working for Matt Smith at Newburgh Vintage Emporium, where she sharpened her eye for feminine silhouettes and fell hard for 1970s dresses. From there, her Etsy shop grew from a side hustle into a full-time business, eventually landing her in a Brooklyn showroom. In the last year, vintage bridal has become an unexpected and deeply personal part of her business, drawing in brides for laid-back appointments and building a community she never anticipated.

We're getting into it all — the treasured thrift store finds, the incredible vintage buys from a theater's costume department, road trips across Massachusetts, and the labels and styles she can never resist. All that and more on today's show!

Let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [02:52] Jessica grew up loving fashion, including Jennifer Aniston street style and Phoebe from Friends, and hunting down pieces from Poshmark in high school
• [04:45] She studied journalism in college with a focus on sustainability and inequality in fashion
• [08:25] Reconstructing a shredded 1980s Pink Floyd tee from the thrift store
• [10:21] Working for Matt Smith at Newburgh Vintage Emporium post-graduation
• [13:11] Developing her vintage brand's point of view: 70s dresses, cottagecore, feminine eveningwear
• [14:39] How vintage bridal became part of the business, and selling her first wedding dress
• [17:24] Balancing TikTok trends with personal sourcing vision
• [19:16] Why her bridal content resonates so strongly
• [23:37] Going full-time in vintage when she moved to Brooklyn, and the hustle of NYC's saturated but supportive vintage market
• [27:56] Opening a shared Brooklyn showroom
• [34:01] How her sourcing has shifted toward wholesale as the business has grown
• [41:31] Holy grail finds and go-to labels
• [48:22] Favorite pieces from her personal collection, and her current vintage wishlist

EPISODE MENTIONS:

• Messy Jessy Vintage
• @messyjessyvintage
• Newburgh Vintage Emporium
• Matt Smith on Pre-Loved Podcast
• The Manhattan Vintage Show
• Armoury Shop
• Lucky Fool Vintage
• Studio Dorothy
• Brimfield Antique Flea Market

LET'S CONNECT:

• 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
• 🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
• 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod

SPECIAL THANKS:

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

• Patty Weber
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