On my way back from the tailor this afternoon (2″ cuffs? yes, please!) I stopped into Everything’s Jake Vintage. It’s situated on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, and I’d never been, despite the fact that it’s across the street from one of my most frequent haunts, the Los Feliz branch of Goodwill. In fact, I hadn’t realized it was there until I stumbled across it searching for something completely different on the internet.
I was greeted warmly by owner Jonathan Kanarek, who was dressed to the nines in the pants and waistcoat of a vintage suit, a striped shirt and paisley necktie. He was surprised I was wearing a suit – I explained that my wife was sworn into the California bar today, and we made small talk about his previous career as a paralegal. Jonathan was generous with his conversation, and from what I’ve read is more than happy to offer guidance to men who need a bit of information with their purchases.
The store isn’t huge, but the quality is consistently high. It’s rare to find a vintage store dedicated to men, and while Jake couldn’t quite match my all-time fave, Bobby From Boston, it really is a wonderful place. Meeting Jonathan would have been enough reason to visit, but I also walked out with a reasonably-priced burgundy grenadine tie from Carrol & Co. to replace my Sulka, which is starting to fray.