S10 Ep20 MESSY JESSY VINTAGE: Jessica Barr, a Brooklyn-based dealer - on opening a collaborative vintage showroom and her unexpected, growing specialty in vintage bridal.

Today we're chatting with Jessica Barr, owner of Messy Jessy Vintage, a Brooklyn-based vintage brand specializing in women's wear and bridal, with a showroom she shares with two fellow dealers and a rotating presence at markets and events across New York, including the Manhattan Vintage Show.  Jessica studied journalism in school, and became fascinated with sustainability and inequality in fashion — studies that eventually led her to a dedicated practice of secondhand shopping and, not long after, selling vintage itself. Her real education in vintage came post-grad, working for Matt Smith at Newburgh Vintage Emporium, where she sharpened her eye for feminine silhouettes and fell hard for 1970s dresses. From there, her Etsy shop grew from a side hustle into a full-time business, eventually landing her in a Brooklyn showroom. In the last year, vintage bridal has become an unexpected and deeply personal part of her business, drawing in brides for laid-back appointments and building a community she never anticipated. We're getting into it all — the treasured thrift store finds, the incredible vintage buys from a theater's costume department, road trips across Massachusetts, and the labels and styles she can never resist. All that and more on today's show!  Let's dive right in! DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: [02:52] Jessica grew up loving fashion, including Jennifer Aniston street style and Phoebe from Friends, and hunting down pieces from Poshmark in high school  [04:45] She studied journalism in college with a focus on sustainability and inequality in fashion [08:25] Reconstructing a shredded 1980s Pink Floyd tee from the thrift store  [10:21] Working for Matt Smith at Newburgh Vintage Emporium post-graduation  [13:11] Developing her vintage brand's point of view: 70s dresses, cottagecore, feminine eveningwear  [14:39] How vintage bridal became part of the business, and selling her first wedding dress  [17:24] Balancing TikTok trends with personal sourcing vision  [19:16] Why her bridal content resonates so strongly  [23:37] Going full-time in vintage when she moved to Brooklyn, and the hustle of NYC's saturated but supportive vintage market  [27:56] Opening a shared Brooklyn showroom  [34:01] How her sourcing has shifted toward wholesale as the business has grown  [41:31] Holy grail finds and go-to labels [48:22] Favorite pieces from her personal collection, and her current vintage wishlist EPISODE MENTIONS:  Messy Jessy Vintage @messyjessyvintage Newburgh Vintage Emporium Matt Smith on Pre-Loved Podcast The Manhattan Vintage Show Armoury Shop Lucky Fool Vintage Studio Dorothy Brimfield Antique Flea Market LET'S CONNECT:  <li dir="ltr" role="presentation