Canned Ham Vintage inside Sarasota trailer is ‘time capsule’ filled with vintage fashion
SARASOTA, Fla. - This place takes you back to simpler times, when men and women dressed to the nines.
It was a time when fashion stood out. It can be found at Canned Ham Vintage in Sarasota.
"The thing that we hear the most from customers is we are a ‘time capsule.’ So, they walk in, and they’re like, ‘I feel like I’m in my grandmother’s closet, my mom had that, I had that in high school,’" said Ashley Rogers.
Rogers is the owner and curator of Canned Ham Vintage.
"I started collecting vintage when I was very young and mom and I had always talked about doing a little store or trying something out online and it got to the point where we are like now here is the lime let’s try it out and we started in the trailer," she said.
READ: This St. Pete couple’s side hustle is literally a picnic
Her Canned Ham trailer now sits outside 12th street in Sarasota. It’s a beacon, attracting repeat and new customers.
Her business has expanded. Inside her shop, you’ll find an array of clothing, accessories and home goods -- from the 1870s to the 1970s.
On some items, you’ll find a price tag and the history of where it came from.
"I really like that whoever buys it gets the trickle-down that Judy bought this in 1976 in Milwaukee and she partied in this and had a lot of fun and it gets to live on with the next person," said Rogers.
MORE: Ryan Howard’s former Bellair Shore mansion steals the show in ‘Selling Tampa’
It’s a true partnership. Cheri McNulty is Ashley’s mom and the head seamstress.
"There’s so many things that come in and they may just be missing a stash or a button or a zipper is broken or they need a little mend and that’s one of my jobs," said McNulty.
Each piece is cleaned and brought back to life. Many end up getting their own photoshoot for thousands to view and shop on Instagram.
From road trips to estate sales and out-of-the-country trips, Ashley and her mom find clothing from across the globe. Once it’s paired to it’s new owner, it’s the moment they’ve waited for.
"We always say it. It’s the glass slipper moment when they put this dress on and it fits them and they go, ‘Oh, this is the dress,’" said McNulty.
"If they try it on and they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s made for me,’ and, ‘Thank you for finding it and making it available to me,’" Rogers added. "It’s really my favorite moment."
For another generation, these pieces from the past, continue to make new for themselves.
"Keeping the past alive with vintage clothing is important because the quality is different than it’s made now and I don’t ever want anybody to forget that. The way we made things and the quality that was put into items. The care was different and if we forget that we will never be able to go back to that," said Rogers.
Canned Ham Vintage is located at 2081 12th Street in Sarasota. For more information, visit their website.