Looking for a vintage or retro shop in State College? A pop-up vintage store, Mia Bella’s Vintage & Retro, is open right now at 216 W. College Ave (right next to Cafe 210 West). Mia Bella’s Vintage & Retro is the perfect stop if you’re searching for a unique Penn State T-shirt, a piece to complete your Halloween costume, your next prized possession to add to your wardrobe or just want to kill some free time.
Origin of Mia Bella’s
Tracy Foster and April Randolph are sisters who started their annual vintage clothing pop-ups seven years ago. Being Penn State alumnae, they find that State College is the perfect place for them to host their annual pop-up. The sisters source their pieces from estates all around Pennsylvania, as well as around Chicago, Georgia, Pittsburgh and North Carolina when visiting family. Although their Penn State pieces are clearly the items that students here are all interested in, their storefront has hundreds of other pieces that are not Penn State related for you to discover.
Mia Bella’s Vintage & Retro has a plethora of T-shirts, jackets, hats, pants and miscellaneous trinkets that are sure to spark interest. With most items being less than $20, it’s easy to pick up a bunch of things around the store and not spend too much money. Foster’s favorite items that they have are their starter jackets, and Randolph’s favorite are their Woolrich jackets. They’re always putting out new items, so if you don’t find anything that hits the mark the first time you go, give the store a second visit and see if there’s something that wasn’t there before.
Pop-Up Timeline
The pop-up will only be in State College for a couple of months, so make sure to stop in before they leave. It opened on Sept. 26 and its last day in 2024 will be Nov. 17. Tuesday to Friday it is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday it is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. For updates, be sure to follow their Instagram page @miabellasvintage.
Foster and Randolph plan to return next fall, just as they have for seven years. They expressed a struggle with sourcing clothing due to the rise in popularity of vintage clothing and recent years, as well as a struggle with finding a location to host their shop. However, they love to see students wearing vintage pieces and are always happy to see things repurposed, which is part of the reason they continue to foster their love for everything vintage.
Show us your outfit from Mia Bella’s Vintage & Retro by tagging us (and Mia Bella’s) on Instagram @valleymag!
