In Conversation with Jessica Schuyler, Founder of Ditto Vintage in New Hope, PA
- duvuproductions
- Jun 1, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
With a latte in hand, we spoke with Jessica Schuyler, at her store, Ditto Vintage. Ditto Vintage is an eclectic, secondhand, and modern thrift store located on West Bridge Street in New Hope, PA. Jessica opened the store in the summer of 2023, but for her, the plan to open her own store was always in motion behind the scenes.
From interning at independent boutiques, reselling online, pop-up events, and markets it wasn’t until a turning point in her career that she decided to make the jump. Jessica's vibrant energy and one-of-a-kind collection have brought new life to West Bridge Street, uniting local vintage stores as destinations for vintage lovers and collectors.
Where did the journey begin?
Ditto began in 2017 after I needed extra money to cover a dental bill. With my education background plus almost 2 decades of retail experience, I figured, why not try selling vintage and thrifted pieces since I've always been a collector.
At that time I hit up two of my friends who already sold vintage and organized a pop-up featuring all three of us in front of Siren Records in Doylestown, PA. It just kind of snowballed from there. I started gaining a following and growing. I went on to expand my pop-up reach from my hometown to vending at various markets in PA, NJ and NYC such as the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market, Greenpoint Terminal Market and Ludlow Flea to name a few.
How did you get this store location in New Hope?
I actually noticed a "Shop For Rent" sign in the window of the shop next door on a walk. When I finally got in touch with the landlord he communicated that the shop had been rented to which I replied "oh no, that was my dream". He then let me know that the lease on my shop space had just gone month to month and that the tenant chose not to renew. I distinctly remember my landlord saying "feast or famine?" to which I replied "let's eat!".
What is the reason behind the name Ditto Vintage?
It's a reference used in the 1990 movie, Ghost but also the same thing again!
What entrepreneurial insights have you gained that you could share advice on?
Owning a business, you get a lot of freedom but you shouldn't just close an hour early on a slow day because you never know who could come in. You have to stick to your hours; you have to be regimented in that sense.
I've been able to connect with my customers and I've learned how to shop for them. I'm always pulling pieces for people, and a lot of the time they comment “I would've never grabbed that.” I love styling as that is a service the shop offers.
Lastly, you just have to find that something you're truly passionate about and hone in on it because it will take over your life (in a great way).
What’s one of the best vintage pieces that you have found so far?
When I was in college, I used to frequent Joan Shepp, a well-known high-end boutique in Philly, for inspiration. She currently carries designers like Moschino, Y-3 and Rick Owens and has always been a tastemaker. Every year, she has a basement sale where end-of-season items are deeply discounted. At one of those sales, I found a 1980s Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo blazer. I
remember Joan herself actually said to me, “How did that get on the rack!” It was a splurge at the time, being over $100. I put it on my credit card and still own it to this day!
Do you have any thrifting tips for beginners?
I had a class in college called ‘Textiles and Fabrics,’ and I had to make a fabric dictionary as part of my final project. That taught me about how different fabrics feel and how to tell them
apart. I would recommend getting to know the "hand" of different fabrics i.e. get to know how 60s-90s polyester feels vs 2024 polyester. Be aware of details, like beading and crochet pieces that are intricately made as they are a thing of the past. I would also suggest looking for a paper tag that says Made in the USA as garment production went primarily offshore after the 90s. Above all else, look for the quality construction of a garment.
Rumor has it- Bella Hadid was seen wearing Ditto pieces. Can you share the story on this?
It was a quiet Tuesday; and there was no one else in the shop. She and a friend came in and said, “Hey, I didn't want to startle you. Chris and Ellie from Ten Church in Lambertville, told us to come by."
I got up and walked over to her and said, “I have been waiting for this moment my entire life.” She laughed and said back, “Get over here, and give me a hug.”
She was very cool. I've watched her style evolve for years. Whenever I've been in a style rut, I would just Google Bella and look at her street-style images for inspo. One thing that I appreciate about her is that, as far as I know, that woman doesn't use a stylist for her off-duty model looks. It's just embedded in her. She went through the entire store piece by piece, looking at and touching everything.
There was this one pair of Diesel jeans that she bought, and I said to her, “Oh, I think these are gonna be a little big on you,” to which she replied, “It's cool; I sew, I can alter them.” I also started pulling stuff to flash her, but she commented that she was switching up her style. Her friend even joked that she was entering her "cowgirl era”. Little did I know it was PR in the making. Then a few months later she showed up on my Instagram explorer page wearing pieces from the shop!
How would you characterize Ditto Vintage in comparison to other vintage shops?
Since opening, I've hosted over 20 pop-ups featuring local vintage dealers, artists and creatives as well as a book and food drive. I want Ditto Vintage to grow and flourish as a community hub and event space aside from being a resale shop. I love meeting, helping, and introducing people to the town and vice versa, putting my town onto something new. I've had the opportunity to carry six indie designers and counting plus I'm in the process of conceptualizing an exclusive merch drop.
Ditto is not strictly vintage. Some of its pieces are newer than 20 years. Technically, I refer to the shop's assortment as vintage, secondhand, and modern thrift. Items range from the 60s-2000s but some are newer and sourced solely because of their uniqueness. I graduated high school in 2003 so I love buying clothes that were trending back then. I'm just reliving everything; it's fun, and it's the nostalgia that I know best.
What’s the vintage community like in New Hope and Lambertville?
We're all friends.
Kate of Dry Goods Vintage would always host me for pop-ups when I was doing Ditto on the side. We also held "After-Hours" parties at her shop.
When I was hand-dying vintage slips, Sam of Bear Bone Vintage used to carry them on consignment in her shop and we even did a collab collection together. She sourced the slips and specifically chose the dye color so it was curated exclusively for her customers.
Chris of Ten Church is such a master curator. I always hit him up for advice on band t-shirt memorabilia.
Stacia of Love Saves The Day and Elana of Nightbird vintage are so OG that their stores are institutions and landmarks of New Hope.
Rachel of Ornate Vintage doesn't have a brick-and-mortar, but she sells online. We've done events together in New York and I hosted her at the shop last June as my first pop-up. She actually created my logo and designs all my flyers. Earlier this year I got all the New Hope/ Lambertville vintage shop owners together to commission her to make an official Vintage Shopping Guide map.
We're not in competition but rather a community. We all want people to enjoy our uniquely curated stores specifically to our tastes because it's our livelihood. We're kind of establishing a community and a destination spot for vintage lovers.
Ditto Vintage is the essence of Jessica herself. As we spoke it was clear how every store detail, the story behind each piece, and divine alignment of finding this location contributed to the creation and success of Ditto Vintage!
