Racks hung with embroidered sweaters, quirky dresses, and block-colored t-shirts sway in the crisp, autumn wind on the corner of College and Cedar in Carrollton. Tucked into a cozy unit beside a small chiropractic office lies Bran New Thrift, Carrollton’s one and only vintage clothing shoppe. Owner Brandon Walker and his wife Sabrina have meticulously hunted for and sorted through hundreds of items, picking out the highest-quality vintage clothing for their customers to choose from.
Originally selling solely online from a ten-by-ten storage unit, the Walkers are relieved that they now have a larger facility, even if they are already bursting at the seams. Their grand opening this past October proved to them that having space for customers to shop is not only great for business, but it provides a space for the Walkers to make friends from all over the neighborhood.
“These are just clothes,” Brandon gestures around him, “but the interactions you have with people is what really matters.”
The interest in vintage clothing provides a perfect opportunity to meet all sorts of people from an array of generations. The Walkers love to see parents come into Bran New Thrift with their children, who tend to gravitate toward the clothing, while the parents admire the varied decor on the walls – and the life-sized Bill Elliott poster on the ceiling! Sabrina adds that as the decorative pieces sell, there are plenty of items they have in storage to replace them.
Currently, the store has on their shoe rack displays well-loved Doc Martens boots and sandals, the coat rack holds items like a signature Betty Boop leather jacket, and the center stand carries heavy-duty work pants from brands like Carhartt and Levi’s.
How Brandon arrived here, well, that’s quite a journey. Growing up, thrifting with his mom was standard, and also something he did as a pastime. He loved finding good-quality clothes for cheap, and vintage items seemed to hold up best. A visit back home during a mission trip to South America led Brandon to a thrift store where he ran into an old friend who was about to purchase a vintage jacket Brandon had earlier hung back up.
“You’re getting that?” he asked his friend.
“Yeah!” the friend exclaimed. “This is easily over a hundred bucks!”
A light went off for Brandon. When he came back to the States for good, he started scavenging every thrift store, yard sale, and flea market for vintage finds. Along the way, he began to learn even the history behind some pieces, especially graphic tees. One of which hangs on on the men’s rack at Bran New Thrift, a tee with Trachea Man on the breast pocket, resurfaced memories of a specific commercial from the 90s.
“Even now, if I’m stressed, I go thrifting,” Brandon laughs. “But it ends up helping the business!”
Brandon and Sabrina would love to have you and your friends visit their cozy store this fall and winter for all your vintage needs. They are open by appointment Monday – Wednesday and from 11:00 A. M. to 7:00 P. M. Thursday – Saturday. They are closed on Sundays. To make an appointment, message them on Facebook or Instagram.
“Why shop brand new when you can shop Bran New?” Brandon laughs.
