travels with maggie : By Retro

My life in Istanbul has been çok meşgul (very busy).

Here are some of the highlights and moments of the past few months.

Some weeks ago I visited By Retro, Istanbul's oldest and second largest second hand store. By Retro is located just off of Istiklal Caddesi on Suriye Passage. From the street it just appears to be a few simple racks of garish clothes, hanging limply from their mismatched hangers outside the shop's door. However, down the steep and liberally poster-adorned stairwell lies a treasure trove of costumes, sunglasses, shoes, coats, hats, furs, jewelry, and many other types of clothing. The entire store, except for the sad outdoor racks, is underground. The fact that there is no ventilation underground does not deter the employees from smoking cigarettes as they go about their work. Must, smoke, and dim lights fill the air, and illuminate the treacherous path between the stacks and racks and piles of clothing. Despite the smell, the store was wonderful to explore. Every kind of object and clothing could be found within the depths of By Retro, it just takes massive patience to sort through the mass.