Sized Up: Blue Velvet, Austin TX

Sized Up: Blue Velvet, Austin Texas

Blue Velvet, Austin Texas

Sized Up is our weekly feature that’ll help you find clothing in your size in cities around the world. You won’t see the same old mall stores here – we focus on smaller, custom shops and boutiques that are off the beaten path. If you know of a unique place to shop for men’s clothing in extended sizes, let us know and we’ll talk about it here.

Inside Blue VelvetToday, we spotlight Blue Velvet Vintage Clothing in Austin, Texas. For 18 years, the Mother-Daughter owned Blue Velvet has offered affordable clothing for men and women from extra small to plus sizes. From vintage, to retro, to western, you’ll find clothing for just about any situation here if you’re willing to look for it. Unlike many vintage shops, Blue Velvet sports a men’s section with quite a few options for gents who need extended sizes.

I spoke with the very helpful Jenny, who answered the phone when I called, and Jennifer Barker-Benfield, the Daughter part of the Mother-Daughter team who run the store about what they have to offer for big men.

What sizes can bigger guys find at Blue Velvet?
You can regularly find sizes to 4XL and 44 in pants in the store. We carry western shirts and Levi’s in those sizes. Our inventory changes regularly, and customers are looking for those sizes, so we try to carry them.

Do you carry accessories that our guys might be interested in?
We have lots of accessories like hats, boots, and shoes. We’ve got some knit hats in for winter right now but we generally try to get more types of fashion hats.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the store?
The atmosphere is laid back. Like the clothing we try to offer – cool, but casual and accessible. The North Loop area where we are is a vintage destination area. We’ve got a record store on one side and a coffee shop on the other. It’s a funky and authentic area.

What kind of price range does Blue Velvet fall into?Glasses at Blue Velvet
We fall into a lower to medium price range. We’re not at the lowest end, but we’re not at the highest end. We try to offer clothes for prices people can afford.

If someone comes in looking for a specific style and needs help putting a look together, is that something you can help with?
Definitely. We try to keep it helpful and fun here. Sometimes it’s hard to tell how much help someone needs or how far they’re willing to go outside of their comfort zone with a style, but we love to do things like help people put together a look.

Do you do events in store?
We do have events, though it’s not something we’ve done much lately. We do fashion shows and have bands in to play. The store gets crowded and we have a lot of inventory, so it’s difficult to do events regularly. When we do a fashion show, we try to feature people of different ages and sizes. You can see photos on our Flickr page.

Blue Velvet Vintage
217 W. North Loop Austin, TX 78751
512.452.2583
Bluevelvetaustin.com
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Hours: Mon – Thurs: 11am to 8pm.
Fri – Sun: 11am to 9pm

 

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