KEYPORT – Ever since she was a kid, New York City native Paula Agneta-Holt loved vintage clothing.
And after years of working in the financial and educational sectors in New York City, she was able to come full circle to share the joys of vintage fashion with others through her 2010 launch of Tiffani’s Vintage Closet Boutique, a chic shop originally located in Matawan and now based in Keyport that offers gently used and new women’s and men’s designer vintage apparel and accessories.
Born in Brooklyn and growing up in Staten Island, “I used to take the Staten Island Ferry to Chelsea to buy used jeans when I was a teenager,” recalled Agneta-Holt, a Manalapan resident. “I never liked to wear mass market, trendy stuff. I wanted to stand out and I’ve always loved the uniqueness, quality and style of vintage clothing.”
Following high school, Agneta-Holt went to work on Wall Street for firms including The Bank of New York. After marrying, having daughter Tiffani, and then divorcing, she held down several jobs at a time, including a long-term administrative position at Staten Island Technical High School, in order to make ends meet and raise her daughter as a single mom.
Looking good:Ocean Grove Trading keeps your clothes stylish for the Jersey Shore life
“We ultimately moved to New Jersey after I met Jan Holt, my partner and future husband, who was a New Jersey resident,” said Agneta-Holt. “He suggested that I pursue my love of fashion and was instrumental in helping to make my dreams of owning a vintage clothing boutique a reality.”
“Tiffani’s Closet was established in 2010 with a dream, hard work and a passion for fashion,” said Agneta-Holt, who opened her shop in a 900-square-foot space in Matawan, where it would remain for the next decade. “I named the store after my daughter, who’s since become a vintage shopper.”
Though the store closed for several months during the heart of the pandemic by state mandate, “in December 2020, a young girl named Hafsah came in to shop and was so intrigued by the store that she asked if she could shoot a video for TikTok, to which I said ‘Sure!’” Agneta-Holt said.
“The video ended up going viral, and for the next six months the store was booming, with people coming from as far as three hours away in Pennsylvania and customers purchasing everything I put out for sale.” The spike in business led her to outgrow her shop and move to her current larger space in Keyport in June 2021.
“I loved that Keyport was an artsy/antique town,” she said of her decision to relocate to the tight-knit Bayshore community. “I thought my store would really fit in and stand out there, and it does!”
Chasing style:See inside Kased Clothing, Asbury Park women’s store opened after years of dreaming
‘Beautifully curated’
Thirteen years since opening, Agneta-Holt said Tiffani’s Vintage Closet has come a long way from its start as a consignment shop.
“We sell unique, upscale vintage and contemporary clothing, handbags, jewelry and accessories as well as vintage furs,” she said. “We offer a collection of beautifully curated and hard-to-find items from pre-loved to new.”
In addition to an extensive collection of sweaters, suits, jeans, tops, skirts, dresses (some dating back to the ‘flapper’ styles of the 1920s) and more, “handbags are our No. 1 seller and we offer beautiful leather bags by Prada, Fendi, Chanel, Gucci, Cole Haan, Louis Vuitton and Coach, all at affordable prices,” Agneta-Holt said. “There’s something for everyone and every budget here, from designer leather boots starting at $20 to a $1,600 Louis Vuitton bucket bag trimmed in pink and $800 to $1,000 gold-toned belts by Versace and Gucci.”
Tiffani’s Vintage Closet also offers a small men’s section with brands such as Burberry as well as personal shopping services.
“We shop for people within our own collection and outside of our store to find what they want, which is unique to our store,” said Agneta-Holt, who’s amassed lifelong expertise in designer fashions and acquires many of her shop’s thousands of pieces by mining people’s closets. “Our customers include everyone from teens to seniors and members of the LGBTQ+ community,” she added. “We have a vast clientele and are extremely inclusive.”
Local business:It might be easier to list what the Keyport Funhouse doesn’t sell
Among trends in the vintage clothing space, “denim is extremely popular, as is anything metallic,” Agneta-Holt said. “In terms of footwear, boots, flats, Mary Janes and shoes with a kitten heel are all big for the fall and sweater dresses, vests and oversized menswear styles from the 1990s are also in. As for colors, red is currently popular, but neutrals are also big and so are neon hues and ‘Barbie’ pink.”
According to Agneta-Holt, it can be challenging to run a store while also acting as buyer, seller and marketer. For that reason, she’s grateful for the support she receives from Lynn Spencer, who assists her in all aspects of the store’s daily operations, as well as Esha Lodhi, current fashion student at LIM College in Manhattan, stylist Linda, and her own daughter Tiffani, 25, who helps with styling, selling and modeling for the shop’s marketing campaigns.
“We love to do fundraisers, run special sales, and give back to the community,” said Agneta-Holt, who takes pride in donating clothing to churches and women’s shelters and helping local residents and businesses in a variety of other ways as well.
“For instance, right before school started this season, we did a $1 sale in our back room and many families were able to stock up on back-to-school clothing,” she explained.
Keyport:Kevin Kelly Salon owner started Bayshore business when he was still a teen
Innovative marketing
Another of the shop’s signature initiatives involves “in-person cross-marketing” efforts, through which the store’s models are photographed in various other stores and businesses in the community “to promote awareness of our shop while helping to elevate the presence and offerings of other businesses in town,” Agneta-Holt said. “In doing that, we’re hoping to help support and strengthen the retail experience in Keyport.”
Recent cross-marketing events included a back-to-school photo shoot held at the Keyport Library and a neon-themed shoot at the Hair Casino hair salon next door to Tiffani’s Vintage Closet. Two additional shoots are scheduled for October.
‘Get away from everything’:Get onto the water with A Canoe to You in Keyport
“I hope that Tiffani’s Vintage Closet continues to grow, both in-store and online,” Agneta-Holt said. And given how popular vintage fashions have become in Hollywood and society, she added, “vintage has come a long way and I’m excited to make people more aware of the quality, history and joy associated with wearing vintage.”
As for her favorite part of her business, “I love that people enjoy the conversations they have when they come in and that they leave my store happy with their purchase. That makes me smile every day,” she said.
“At the same time, I know vintage fashion and many people come to me for style advice or to determine if their item is authentic,” she said. “I’m happy to help and it brings me joy to be a resource in this field.”
Tiffani’s Vintage Closet Boutique
Location: 14 W. Front St., Keyport
Phone: (732) 970-5778
Owner: Paula Agneta-Holt
Opened: 2010
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tiffanisvintage
