Time to dig through your parent’s wardrobe for all those daggy old clothes Dad bought from Rivers back in like 2003, because apparently it’s all considered “vintage” now. Yep, people are posting up “Vintage Rivers” on Depop, and I’m both extremely here for this farm work vibe and baffled that a shop that I once refused to be spotted in is now trendy as hell.
My friend Ruby, who I grew up with in a small town that had an absurdly large Rivers, spotted a shirt on Depop that’s labelled as “Vintage rivers long sleeve shirt”. After I nearly spat out my coffee, I dug a bit deeper and found that people are slinging clothes from the Big Dad Vibes shop online now. There’s definitely enough to make it a trend, so I’m calling it.
“Vintage rivers”
I’ve heard it all now pic.twitter.com/ZKuQFJpWT3— rubz (@rubygboland) June 22, 2020
To me, a country kid who lives in the city now, River’s is 100% where you’d get your kickaround clothes for farm days or weekends helping in the garden. It was always like the country version of Lowes, and you’d be absolutely teased at school if you were seen shopping in there. (I grew up in a half-farmer, half-surfer town. It was very polarising.)
Also, those ads were jarring. Remember those? They had no sound apart from someone in a full deadpan voice repeating “Why…is everything from Rivers…just so comfortable?” and it’d get your attention simply because you thought the TV had cooked itself somehow.
But now look, I could sell off those old flannos in my Dad’s cupboard back home. I could dig out all those pairs of well-worn Stubbies and fleece jumpers with the half-zip thing and wear them without a care in the world. I mean I’m already pretty much doing that anyway, and you can bet your ass all I’m going to wear over summer is ruggers and footy shorts.
And it’s not like these ~vinatge finds~ are going for exorbitant prices, either. You could cop this rugby polo for $13. Or maybe these hand-tailored jeans for $20. Look, I simply have to back this affordable and accessible vintage, and I feel like my teenage daggy fashion choices are finally paying off.
So please enjoy my fave Rivers picks from the Depop listings while I process how something that was arguably the lamest shop in the early 2000s is now cool as hell. What’s next, Millers?
