A soft record echoes as an abundance of eras wait beyond the bright orange sign of Canned Ham Vintage. Racks of dresses from decades past hang beside a pile of aged suitcases, and wild hats battle for attention around glass cases of dramatic turquoise beaded necklaces, and pearl pieces reminiscent of circle skirts. “Yesterday I was dressed as a 1950s housewife and today I’m in 1970s polyester,” says owner Ashley Rogers when asked to describe her own style choices. To her left, a wall of men’s apparel displays tropical print button downs, stitched in the 1960s to match a companion dress of the same pattern. She believes vintage is all about having fun. “We all need to play dress up now and then,” she says. Last fall, Rogers began Canned Ham as a pop-up shop. She now operates the brick-and-mortar location, as well as an online store and a mobile shop to bring her collection on the road during the weekends.

Still in awe of the store’s success, Rogers believes the area has the ideal following for what she has to offer. It seems Sarasota desired some serious dress-up. “My customer is someone who wants to be different and have something funky in life,” she says. Rogers will see a woman looking for a bold opera ensemble and a high school girl browsing for her first vintage pieces all in the same afternoon. “A few key vintage pieces can take your basic fashion to the next level,” she says. “You only need a few pieces to begin.” For Rogers, vintage has always been a way of life, even as a child. The tiger’s eye ring that decorates her finger is the product of her mother’s jewelry-making in the ‘70s, and it remains her favorite piece to this day. The support of her family has been the force behind her vintage dream becoming reality. Her mother, Cheri, helps around the store when Rogers is busy refurbishing pieces, and her fiancé Alex is the one-man road crew for the mobile shop. He also serves as great company when they take her collection to different markets and shows. While away, she keeps the store operating by appointment with her personal cell phone number listed on the storefront. It’s difficult not to swoon for the style when seeing the setup of this cozy Rosemary District nook.