Full Court opens Saturday bringing 90's vintage apparel to the EDGE District
Fashion is cyclical. What was popular twenty years ago is fashionable again today. And I’m sure it’ll be in vogue again twenty years from now. However, some vintage looks have never gone out of style – even if they haven’t been printed in decades.
This Saturday, a new vintage clothing store specializing in 90’s and early 2000’s fashion is opening in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete.
Full Court will be located at 1010 Central Avenue #102 in the space formerly occupied by Yoga Energy Studio.
The shop will stock a wide selection of t-shirts, flannels, jerseys, hats, shorts & pants, sweatshirts & hoodys, denim, and shoes from brands like Nike, Stussy, Tommy Hilfiger, Carhartt, Columbia, Polo, and North Face.
Full Court was founded by Corby and Joe around seven years ago when the duo opened their first store in Tarpon Springs.
“Joe and I grew up skateboarding in Tampa Bay,” said Corby. “We’ve always been into sneakers, skateboarding, apparel, and fashion. Then a few years ago, we both got into vintage and decided to open a business together.”
After spending two and half years in Tarpon Springs, Full Court moved to Clearwater where they’ve been for the past four years. Last year, they opened a second location in Houston.
“When our lease recently expired in Clearwater, we strongly considered not having a Florida store,” said Corby. “But then we rediscovered St. Pete. The community is really supportive of local businesses and the people are so open-minded. We’re happy to be here in the EDGE District.”
The St. Pete shop will carry over 850 apparel pieces at any given time, more than double the selection of the old Clearwater store. Inventory will constantly rotate and even though Full Court sells online, nothing in the store will be listed for sale on their website or social media.
“There’s definitely an element of collectability. Most of these items haven’t been in production for decades and that’s really appealing to people who want to wear something unique,” said Corby. As a result, some shirts are priced at $10 while others are $1,000. However, the average price per item at Full Court is under $40.
In addition to vintage apparel, Full Court will also stock over 350 pairs of shoes from Nike, New Balance, and Yeezy.
As for how Corby decides which brands to stock, Corby says, “Every item in the store has been hand-picked by me. And I only sell the stuff that I like. Actually, I’ll sell music shirts from bands I don’t listen to, but it needs to have a great graphic.”
It can be a challenge to keep a store like Full Court fully stocked with apparel that has been out of production for so long. But Corby has found a way to make it work.
“I used to go to all the local thrift stores 3-4 times a week. I know exactly what I’m looking for and I know exactly what things are worth,” said Corby. “But once we opened a store, I realized I didn’t have time to go on my thrift runs anymore. Now, I try to find people who do sourcing on a large scale and I just go to them.”
After securing a new batch of inventory, Corby cleans and removes stains from every item before displaying it in the store.
“We don’t sew up holes though. Most people actually want their clothes to have holes. They go out of their way to find those items,” said Corby.
Although most of the inventory at Full Court is recycled, they also sell new items from Stussy and Supreme in addition to new footwear and skateboards.
Full Court opens this Saturday at 1010 Central Avenue #102 in the EDGE District of St. Pete. The store will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 12pm to 7pm and Thursday through Saturday from 12pm to 8pm.
To stay up to date on new arrivals, follow Full Court on Instagram.