Stepping into Marvelous Vintage, a cool breeze carries the scent of old leather. Innumerable shades of denim in the most sought after brands–Levi, Guess, Wrangler, you name it–hang on racks. In the rustic fitting room, a slinky royal blue dress from the 70s with black lace begs to be tried on.
Welcome to Marvelous Vintage.
Michelle and Mark Albenese opened the shop in 2021 after years of collecting vintage clothing from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s for fun. But what started out as a hobby became their own clothing store for the nostalgic Tucson community.
A vintage Victoria Secret top hangs in the fitting room in Marvelous Vintage.
In 2017, Michelle began thrifting her way through Tucson while working a demanding accounting job. Accounting provided a good living, but it was taking time away from her family, she said. And she yearned for something more.
“I felt like there was something missing and I needed to do something else,” she said. “So I started thrifting as a hobby and fell in love with these really good, old Levis jeans and it started to snowball from there.”
She began bringing Mark with her, and the Albenes’s collection of old vintage clothes began to grow. Seven years later, in 2021, they started their own business in downtown Tucson.
Unlike malls and most second-hand stores, Mark and Michelle hand pick every item they sell at Marvelous Vintage.
“In the three years that we’ve been here, we know a lot of the wholesalers in Tucson that will come bring us bins worth of stuff, yet we still hand pick everything,” Mark said. “We go to upstate New York, which is where I am from, and we love the rural areas and find that people have a lot more storage and we find a lot of old stuff to bring back with us.”
Denim styles lined up for customers to try on and shop.
It takes a lot of searching, traveling and sorting for Michelle and Mark to supply unique fashion in their store, and customers never know if they will find vintage Levis at Marvelous Vintage another state or a different decade.
“We are nothing like retail stores in the malls because everything is pre-owned. All the items in our store are living their second, third or fourth life,” Michelle said. “What we focus on is bringing in what we like and think is trendy and putting in a space where people don’t have to go to the thrift stores.”
Stacia Albenese, Michelle and Mark’s 19-year-old daughter, has been a part of Marvelous Vintage since the start. She not only helps in the store but also watches how her parents operate their business and interact with the Tucson community.
“My dad will run around the store trying to find the perfect fit, whether that is jeans, shirts, shorts, all based on what the customer needs,” she said. “My parents try really hard to interact with all customers on a deeper level, which has increased the amount of regulars that come in.”
The demand for Y2K vintage clothing keeps Mark and Michelle on their toes.
“We are catering to the middle schoolers, the high schoolers who want the 90s baggy and the Jinco. Then we have the college students who are always interested in the tiny crop tops. Jorts are really in style with them this year, and lastly of course, the millennials who like the 60s and 70s with the bellbottoms,” Michelle said.
Michelle Albenese smiles in front of her store Marvelous Vintage.
Certain trends never really go out of style, they just take a break then make their way back into the hands of Mark and Michelle Albenese at Marvelous Vintage.
Marvelous Vintage, located at 2901 E. Speedway Blvd., is open Tuesday through Friday noon – 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
