Abernathy’s Brings Vintage Style and Curious Finds to Davenport

A row of dresses can pull you in at Abernathy’s, but it rarely keeps you in just one part of the store. A vintage frock may lead to a rack of alternative fashion, then to novelty socks, then to a jarred curiosity or a stack of bumper stickers that makes an unexpectedly good small gift.

This downtown Davenport shop in the Westside mixes vintage clothing, newer pieces with a retro look, handmade goods, home décor and a proudly strange assortment of collectibles. The result is less a single-purpose boutique than a collection of rooms where the next display can change the subject completely.

Abernathy’s has enough fashion to support a planned shopping trip and enough little surprises to reward a slow, open-ended browse. Come in looking for an outfit, and you may leave with an accessory, a room decoration and a sticker you had no intention of buying.

Dresses are a recurring highlight here. The racks include true vintage, vintage-inspired and alternative styles, so the browsing does not stop at one narrow version of retro dressing. A shopper drawn to a pinup silhouette may find something very different from someone looking for a dark, dramatic everyday dress.

The store carries vintage and replica-vintage clothing alongside alternative labels including Hell Bunny and Foxblood. That makes the selection useful for people who enjoy the shape and spirit of older fashion but do not want every piece to be a decades-old garment.

Vintage and upcycled clothing is arranged by color, an approach that gives the racks a little visual order without draining away the fun of the hunt. It is easy to move from a preferred shade to a preferred silhouette and see what turns up.

The labels deserve a closer look. Garment tags are carefully marked, often providing background on a piece and its style, which adds a bit of context to the ordinary act of trying to decide between two dresses.

The clothing selection has included options for plus-size shoppers, though individual sizing and styles naturally vary as merchandise changes. That changing inventory is one reason repeat browsing has its rewards.

Abernathy’s is not limited to handing over a dress and sending you on your way. Staff can talk through how vintage clothing is worn and styled, helping connect a garment with the right accessories and overall look.

That is particularly handy when the outfit has a purpose beyond Tuesday errands. The shop has helped assemble a full look for a pinup contest, but the same sort of guidance can be useful for an event, a costume-minded gathering or simply a person trying vintage style for the first time.

There is also room to browse independently. You can take your time comparing cuts, reading tags and sorting through accessories, with help available when a question arises.

The fashion racks share space with an unmistakably macabre side of the shop. Abernathy’s carries horror- and goth-themed collectibles, props, posters, pins and stickers, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone who likes their décor with a little old movie-house gloom.

The oddities selection has included bones, small animals preserved in jars and old-school dentures. These are not the sort of objects one expects to encounter while shopping for a dress, which is precisely why the transition from clothing to curiosities works so well.

Some finds read as display pieces; others are compact enough for a shelf, desk or gift bag. Pins and stickers offer a smaller way into the store’s offbeat sensibility, without requiring anyone to take home a jarred specimen.

The spooky bathroom continues the theme as an intentional in-store surprise. It is a small detail, but it suits a place that treats even a practical room as another opportunity for character.

Not every purchase here needs to be a fashion statement or a conversation-starting collectible. Buttons, novelty socks, bumper stickers and stickers make it easy to find an inexpensive little item for a friend, a stocking, a birthday card or yourself.

Handmade items sit alongside vintage objects and faux-vintage merchandise, and the broader gift assortment includes accessories, small collectibles and decorative pieces for the home. The range is broad enough that two people walking in with different tastes can still spend a while looking around.

A horror fan may be drawn to posters and goth-flavored objects, while someone else may be scanning for an unusual accessory or a piece of room décor. Abernathy’s does not treat those audiences as separate tribes; they all get to browse the same colorful, slightly irreverent maze.

The shop’s multiple rooms are filled with different categories of merchandise, giving the visit a loose, exploratory rhythm. Instead of approaching a single counter with one purchase in mind, you move from clothing to gifts to vintage objects and back again.

The interior has a quirky, eclectic vintage-inspired look that fits the merchandise without turning the store into a museum set. A sign behind the register referencing filmmaker Kevin Smith adds another pop-culture note to the surroundings.

It is a good place to allow some time. A quick stop can easily stretch when a display sends you back to reconsider a garment, or when a search for one accessory uncovers several more possibilities.

Abernathy’s sits in downtown Davenport’s growing Westside, where it serves nicely as a destination for people drawn to vintage fashion, alternative style and gift-shopping with a less predictable edge.

The inventory changes enough to keep return visits interesting. Specific brands, oddities, garments and sizes can shift, but that turnover suits the store’s basic appeal: there is always another rack, shelf or corner worth checking.

For shoppers outside Davenport, online shopping provides another way to explore the store’s offerings. Its social media can also offer a useful glimpse of current ideas and merchandise before an in-person browse.