Meet….Diggin’ Up Stylez!
My name is Dillon. I am the self-employed sole proprietor of Diggin’ Up Stylez, a vintage and secondhand clothing/accessory/miscellany business.
It all started back in spring of 2019, shortly after I had moved from my home in Michigan to Denver, CO. I didn’t own a car at the time, but that didn’t stop me from riding my bike and taking buses to the far corners of the city, searching for garment gold.
Since then, I have connected to this city and its people in ways I don’t think could be possible without it. I truly enjoy the process of buying, restoring, repairing, and selling vintage for its creative aspects as well as its sustainability factor.
I also enjoy cooking, hiking, and live music.
You’re particularly savvy when it comes to putting together an outfit. Have you always had a knack for style, or was that a journey?
I’ve felt at home in a thrift store since I was a teen, and it has always influenced my personal style. The luck of the draw has always been a component – dressing creatively within the confines of what I find.
The affinity for retro looks has never left me. It has certainly been a journey and I’ve come a long way, feeling now that I’ve developed my own personal style and the skill to curate from a distinct point of view for others.
What sort of pieces are your favorite to source?
My favorite items to source are denim (pants/jackets/anything), t-shirts with unique graphics, and basic essentials that I can repair, alter or up-cycle in experimental ways.
What are some of the challenges about vintage dealing that people may not realize?
I would say one un-obvious challenge is the amount of work it takes to process items from newly-sourced to resale ready.
Washing by machine or hand, removing stains, repairing holes, researching brands and deducing origin and era of specific items are all part of my process.
It’s work that requires a cluster of skills I’ve had to learn in order to give my customers the best I can.
And you don’t just deal in vintage clothing, you do up-cycling, tell us about that.
I love doing patchwork and visible repairs. I have a sizable stash of scrap fabric, and if I find something cool with holes or stains, I’ll dig through and find the perfect color or type of fabric for patches and sew with a coordinated color of thread.
I also have found many blank t-shirts and sweatshirts the over years, which I’ve been creatively dyeing and using to print original graphics.
I’ve released two drops in a series I’m calling “Brutal Taxonomy,” in which I created and printed graphics inspired by heavy metal tees depicting animals and plants, with the scientific latin name looking like the name of a band.
Where do you see vintage going in the near or distant future, and what are you ultimately hoping to see happen with shopping in this way?
In both the near and distant future, I see vintage becoming even more of a mainstay in the culture at large. Over the last seven years I’ve been selling, there have been numerous trend explosions.
I think that will taper off a bit and people who enjoy vintage fashion will more often come into a further unique and personal style, regardless of whatever brand/era/aesthetic seems hot at the time. I’d love to see every person incorporate secondhand clothing into their lives in some capacity.
It’s been said many times before: we have enough clothing the world around and the resources for producing them are finite.
Shop Dillon’s wares any time at Vulgar Salon, Thrift, & Vintage in Denver,
as well as Circa Vintage in Colorado Springs.
And follow him on Instagram where he posts fresh and favorite finds,
restocks at the stores, and the occasional peek at other fun things I get into.
