Flashback Vintage

As basically the most all-​knowing vintage lover of all time, I’ve devised my own way of breaking down a vintage store. Behold…
Eras:
1970’s-2000’s are most prevalent, with a few stragglers in the mix
For whom:
women, men
Sizes:
Medium sizes. I have not seen any large sizes.
Prices:
Very expensive for what they sell. Occasionally, there will be that darling little 1960’s beaded mini dress worth it’s $ 80 pricetag, but I have no interest in paying $ 30 for a Charlotte Russe dress that was probably less than that to begin with.
Condition:
Good. I haven’t seen many rips or stains on items.
Pros:
Costumes! Non-​vintage costumes.
Cons:
It’s pricey, and more of a used clothing store than a vintage one. Parking is difficult and it’s very overstocked. You really have to dig to find a gem… and sometimes you just plain don’t find one. Sadness.
aaaaand scene!

My friend and I were on a mission to find funny and slightly horrific costumes for a Nerd Prom Birthday party. Naturally.
We scoured a few different vintage boutiques and Goodwill and didn’t find what we were looking for. The options were either too fashionable or not quite geeky enough. My friend suggested that we try Flashback Vintage but warned that it has been known to be a tad pricey.
Um. Tad. Understatement.
Don’t get me wrong, I will throw dollas and plastic at apparel and accessories that are an investment but who would spend premium money on a costume that you are likely not going to wear again?
I didn’t see very much of a vintage selection that I would consider fashionable or remotely integrate into my wardrobe. The few pieces that I gave a second look could be purchased at Local Honey, Diamond Star Halo, or Closet Case Vintage for less.
I will state that this is a great place to head to if you are looking for an interesting costume for Halloween but the prices may scare you off.
All of the nerdy inspired looks that I pulled off of the racks were way above my budget with the prices ranging from $ 70 — $ 120.
We even asked the saleslady if there was an option to rent… NOPE.
Again, if you are someone who is really into Halloween, this could be a great option for you. I personally would rather invest the money into things that are more long term.

Rockstars dream! This store seriously has a little bit of everything. Even a staff that is a bit vintage and crazy. That make this experience top notch!
I needed a white tie for my costume. Not thrift store prices, but at $ 12.99 to to bad either. The have a decent selection of derby, fedora type hats. Tons of vintage gear in a very small area. Furniture and knick knacks (no bone) too. There were lots of hipsters checkin out the weekend night life gear.
Again, another thumbs up for thrift store in Nashville. Just bring your plastic. This place is on the high end.

Flashback is a little bit vintage clothing shop, and a little bit costume shop. If you don’t feel like coming to Elliston to shop around in person, the place does have it’s own ebay store. The shop name is moms-​treasures1 .
We had a really great time looking around, and I fell in love with a men’s flannel shirt, and were I a person that could actually talk myself into buying something right now, I would have gotten it. The place is the only vintage shop in town with what I consider AFFORDABLE and FAIR prices. None of this two hundred dollars for something I could dig for at a thrift store for five dollars.
The drawback here is that most of the stuff is the loudest of the past trends.
We’re talking acid wash trench coats that Alan Jackson probably wore in the 80s. Even in the south we know that trend ain’t ever coming back.

Flashback maintains a great balance between costume and wearable retro and vintage clothing. The pack a lot of merchandise into that little store. I always find something I like, even if I’m not crazy about its price tag. You’ll find a lot of the costume standard pieces (large plastic peace sign necklaces, neon tights, etc.), but a lot of the other choices are actual vintage pieces so you don’t walk in looking like a glowing moron. Having real vintage instead of costume company reproductions also means you are less likely to walk into that costume party wearing the same purple bellbottoms as that annoying girl from work.

Flashback has a large selection of men’s and women’s costume-​y and fashionable vintage and secondhand clothes, shoes, cowboy boots, scarves, and other accessories. If you’re looking for unconventional (new) stockings or fishnets, this is the place to go. The prices are reasonable for vintage, and right now the shoes and boots are all 25% off.
I was pleasantly surprised by the cute dresses and skirts I managed to find after sifting through the more extravagant items. Even the costume-​y clothes were fun to look at, they were so over-​the-​top. There’s also a rack of dresses and gowns sorted by decade, like a whirlwind history lesson. Flashback also has the largest collection of Aladdin pants I’ve ever seen, which was kind of fascinating after the initial repulsion.

Flashback is the one of the greatest vintage shops in the world. I am not the biggest shopper in the world, but I have a ton of fun at Flashback. They have so much cool stuff from the 70’s and 80’s. Flashback is a mandatory stop for me when there is a costume party coming up. Unlike other vintage/​costume stores I have been to, this place has some high quality stuff that always gets a lot of complements.
Probably the best thing I have seen in this store are the hats that the band Devo is famous for. The next best thing I have seen there, a piano keyboard neck tie.

Red men’s platform shoes, light blue platform shoes, a stack of sombreros, and a leather zebra stripped trench coat. These are just a sprinkling of what kind of vintage cool items you can find at Flashback vintage. Flashback vintage has a huge space on Elliston Place. They store is organized by decade so you can browse through the racks and get a taste of all the bad and good fashion that was popular during that time.
The selection of women’s shoes is pretty good, they have pumps in every bad color. All pretty 80’s style. Flashback also does rentals, so if you have a costume party coming up, check out their selection.

I have been in this vintage and costume store numerous times, for the sole purpose of finding an outfit to costume parties. They call themselves vintage, but really, the clothes are a tad extreme for everyday wear… in my opinion!
As far as costume shopping goes, they are a little pricey – I found this great tulle poufy skirt for an 80’s Madonna outfit, and it was $ 50!!! No thanks. I think they get their main business from Vandy kids who have bottomless pockets and shop for their Greek swaps. No matter though.
I have found a few choice accessories here – namely some fluorescent orange lace socks, authentic jelly bracelets, and buttons of 80’s pop stars. Awesome.
Overall – if you are looking for cool vintage, this probably isn’t for you. Costume searching? Check it out, but be prepared to shell out the money.

Flashback is a very neat little vintage shop that overlooks Elliston Place in one of the neater districts on the West Side. It’s on the second floor of a small shopping center right between The Exit/​In and Corner Bar, and it’s walking distance from countless other bars, restaurants, venues and coffee shops.
Flashback is the type of place you could spend about three hours in, and, while you might walk away with the coolest vintage find of your life, you could as easily find nothing you’re willing to buy. Flashback is a true blue vintage shop, so you’ll find countless old dresses, western shirts and fedoras – it’s not a junky second hand place, so don’t expect cheap t-​shirts and the like.
The lady that runs Flashback is really sweet, and she’s always eager and willing to help you locate the neatest stuff in the store. It seems a bit like she caters to rockabilly types, but that’s kind of how it goes at most vintage places. You might have to sift through scores of items with flames embroidered on them or a few dozen leopard print belts, but every once in a while you’ll find something worth it. There are also lots and lots of buttons, glasses and other neat little items, so it’s a good place just to browse if you’re killing time on Elliston.