Strange Times Vintage

Strange Times Vintage is an LGBTQ-owned vintage clothing boutique located at 1224 Pendleton Street in Columbia, South Carolina, in the heart of the city near the University of South Carolina campus. The store specializes in vintage apparel ranging from the 1960s to Y2K, along with vintage and modern accessories, stickers, and home décor. Owners Candace Sharpe and Cammy Thompson launched the business in 2019 as a pop-up operation called Head Trauma Vintage before opening their first brick-and-mortar location in August 2023. The store’s distinctive name and alien theme were inspired by the owners’ love of the X-Files series and the concept that past decades represented “strange times.” Strange Times Vintage has earned recognition including honorable mentions for Best Alternative Clothing and Best Men’s Clothing in local “Best Of” awards, and has become particularly popular with USC students and the local community.