Conversations with Kitty: Author and Vintage Clothing Collector
Kitty Zeldis has been collecting vintage clothing for decades and turned her love of clothes into Carroll Street Vintage, a business where “she gets to enjoy the hunt in a whole new way.” We are having a pop-up with Kitty featuring some of her favorite pieces on Saturday May 9, 2026 so come to Michael’s and check out some of the treasures she has recently discovered.
Kitty isn’t just a lover of clothing, she’s also an author. And yes, fashion plays a significant role in many of her books. We sat down with her to talk more about vintage shopping, her love of clothing and what makes for a good fashion find.
Q: You’ve been collecting vintage clothes for many years, how did it all start?
KZ: I was influenced by my mother. When I started, the term “vintage’ didn’t exist. We just looked for great things. Sometimes I would find great things that weren’t right for me, but were too great to leave. So maybe I’d buy 10 items, keep 2, and sell 8, which gave me money to buy the next time.
Q: You’re also a writer, and you refer to your stock as “pre-loved pieces, new stories.” What are your thoughts on the link between fashion & being a writer?
KZ: My last 3 novels are historical fiction, and clothes play a large role. They are not a backdrop. Clothes are essential to how one presents themself to the world. I feel I can put fashion into my fiction because I care a lot about it. Old clothes can tell where you’re from, who you are.
Q: Your stories often touch on Jewish identity, and when many Jews came over to America, they found work in the garment district, and Michael’s history, as a 3rd generation-owned consignment shop, 5th generation in the second-hand industry, is tied to this as well. What do you think the link is? Or was it simply the only area non-english speaking people could get involved in?
KZ: I think it was an industry that allowed us in, when many didn’t. Peddlers, textiles, fabrics….There is a backstory of a family in my book "The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights" that is based on my family. They were tanners. It wasn’t glamorous, but it allowed my family to have the things they wanted.
Q: Back to fashion…..When did you decide to turn the hobby into a business?
KZ: My kids were growing up, and there was all this extra space. I had the time and eventually turned my husband’s former dark room (he had been a photographer) into my retail space.
Q: Describe your style
KZ: "Eclectic reinvention” But I believe in mixing old and new, if you dress head to toe old it can look like a costume. Fashion is always re-inventing itself. Think about it: our bodies haven’t changed, still have 2 arms, 2 legs. There are only so many combinations of things to do, so fashion is always reinvention. (Example, the 80s with the big shoulder pads, this was really taken from the 1940s.)
Q: Where do you source? Without giving away your industry secrets of course. (wink, wink)
KZ: When I travel, Amsterdam, Paris, etc. I take about 9 pieces to wear and the rest of my suitcase is empty---I need space for whatever I get on the trip.
And I also source from closet clean outs. I work with a guy who does clean outs of high end homes, he does everything but the clothes. It’s a good sort of partnership, I sell the clothes, and it’s a bit of a “this is your life” about the person. I respect the clothes, I feel it’s a privilege to deal with them.
Q: Favorite “old” designer(s)?
KZ: Rive Gauche, Escada, Ungaro, Oscar de la Renta
Q: What is one of your favorite vintage finds? Do you still have it?
KZ: No, I wish I did. I was at a stoop sale and there was a blue, green, purple item, in velvet, I knew I had to have it, before I even knew what it was. It was a Pucci hostess gown---I would’ve kept it but it was very large, and didn't fit my lifestyle. I got it for $15, I think I sold it for $185, I probably could have gotten more for it. I sold it to a retailer on Broome Street who then marked it up again to sell it.
Q: Where are most of your customers located?
KZ: I sell to a lot of New Yorkers, but with the website, this month alone I sold items to people in DC, Philly, CA, Mass, AZ, and as far away as Poland.
Q: Any tips for shoppers?
KZ: 1) Educate yourself on quality, not necessarily just the labels. Analyze features you like in a garment/accessory, and what qualities you can get for your price point. For example, I once got a Chanel jacket, it had 4-6 internal panels. You’re not going to see that many panels in many garments. Also feel the garment. These days you can always look it up on the internet but get a sense of the quality from feeling it, noticing the details.
2) Beware of labels----some people sew in a label ---look again at quality, if it says it’s Chanel but you see its not sewn correctly or something is off, chances are someone sewed a Chanel label into another garment.
Come to our pop-up at Michael’s with Kitty on Saturday May 9th and check out some of the treasures she has discovered on a recent trip to Europe.
