Thrifthood: A Third Space for Excellence in Vintage Sportswear

Remember going to the mall as a teenager, browsing racks, laughing with your friends and just enjoying the moment? That’s what it’s like at Thrifthood, a vintage streetwear shop located in Provo and now in Salt Lake City.

Thrifthood started in 2018 by Alan “Albee” Bostrom who began selling on Instagram at @thrifthood_ until one day, when he got a request from a customer who wanted to browse in person. He came over, and the rest is history. Soon, word caught on about a unique shopping experience by DM only — as Bostrom lived with roommates — where customers explored his unfinished basement filled with vintage streetwear. As customers entered the basement, they’d see Michael Jordan posters along the stairs, neon signs, shoes spread across a pool table and clothes on racks. Business grew quickly and soon Bostrom opened a physical store in Provo.

Because Bostrom was born in the 1990s and grew up in the early 2000s, Thrifthood’s inventory focuses on streetwear from those eras, as well as the 1980s. It reminds Bostrom of his childhood, but more than that, he loves the authenticity of it. He appreciates how clothing was made with cotton and wool over the polyester-driven fast fashion of today. Back then you could buy pieces that would last for years, not just for a season, and they ended up becoming memories, passed from generation to generation.

When Thrifthood first opened, inventory came from other thrift stores in Utah. Today it’s wholesale, with every item personally handpicked by Bostrom and his team for quality, authenticity and style. When I ask Bostrom about the coolest pieces that he’s found, he says that his favorites end up being the customers’ favorites. What he loves most is when someone picks up a jacket and says, “Oh wow! My mom had that!” and shows him family pictures. On a personal level, his favorite piece that he owns is a T-shirt that says “Smokey” in block letters on the front with a graphic of cartoon eyes on the back. He doesn’t know where it’s from or what brand it is — Bostrom just loves it for its uniqueness and for the conversations it can spark. After all, the most important factor to him is connection.

The core of Thrifthood is vintage sportswear, and Bostrom is passionate about it. He loves the connection sports fans have with each other and how sports unite people worldwide. Thrifthood’s Provo location is by the BYU campus, and a lot of their customers are young people returning from missions. They browse the racks at Thrifthood, spot a team from the country or state they went to and feel nostalgic. In unfamiliar places, bonding over sports is a universal human experience, no matter where in the world you travel to.

Selling clothes that last for years is only part of the experience Thrifthood wants to give you — they want you to feel welcome to pop in for a visit, even if you leave empty-handed. The shop has couches, TVs and arcade games, making it feel like a third space rather than just a shop pushing you to buy. Bostrom wants people to spend hours inside, sitting on couches, browsing the racks and just having a great time with friends. He wants to foster a feeling of community regardless of where you’re from, your age or your knowledge of vintage clothing.

Along with their new second location in downtown SLC, Thrifthood has big plans for the future, including more events like their Utah Jazz pop-up in May. Just as SHEIN and Forever 21 have become synonymous with fast fashion, he hopes that when people hear “vintage,” they think of Thrifthood. Bostrom hopes to continue fostering a third space that transforms the thrift experience into something unique and welcoming — a place that stays in your memories like a well-worn vintage T-shirt.

Read more about local vintage fashion sellers:
RétroVie: DIY Festival Vintage Vendor
ThriftJam: DIY Festival Vintage Vendor