COLUMBUS, Ohio — A central Ohio man is using his passion for fashion to help others find their style, including some with a throwback feel.

Peyton Ley, 24, started thrifting when he was a freshman in college and it has since become one of his favorite hobbies. He likes to experiment with his style and find clothing that is one-of-a-kind. 

His unique wardrobe soon became a hot topic. 

“I was finding stuff for myself,” said Ley. “And I would just kind of wear the stuff I got. And my friends would be like, Yo, where'd you get that,' I'd be like the 'thrift store.'”

In 2018, he decided to turn his hobby into a business and allow other people to curate their own unique style. He launched The Loop Vintage out of his bedroom and started selling items online through Instagram. 

Near the end of 2021, Ley got the keys to his very own storefront at 1559 N. 4th St. in Columbus. 

“It's definitely crazy,” said Ley. “It feels amazing just to kind of finally have the spot. I've been kind of dreaming of this for a long time.” 

People from all over may buy, sell or trade vintage clothing as well as rare sneakers. Every week, there are new items. 

“We do ‘80s and ‘90s and some early 2000s vintage clothing,” said Ley. “We have categories of vintage in here from like band music tees from the ‘80s and ‘90s to like Disney cartoons to NASCAR even to like sports.” 

“My favorite shoe, personally, is Air Jordan 1,” said Jayson McMullin, manager and shoe curator at The Loop Vintage. “So, I'd guess every time I get a Jordan 1 in here, I'm pretty stoked about it. Just giving people options. I mean, if someone wants to grab, like, a clothing piece, they can grab a pair of kicks as well.”

With the fast fashion industry leaving a huge negative impact on the environment, Ley works to educate people on the benefits of shopping vintage.  

 “A lot of wasted water, a lot of wasted materials, tons of waste from fast fashion. This is a serious issue,” said Ley. “And there's a lot of textile waste that's just being thrown into landfills, that never gets used, that never gets to anybody, that just kind of gets thrown away and forgotten about. So, just doing your part. And, like, I guess trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible, is a big reason that I wanted to do this and kind of teach people more about vintage and stuff like that.”

Through finding hidden gems in old clothing, he’s working to bring customers that "blast from the past" feeling. 

“One of my favorite things is just seeing people's reaction when they see something they like and they're, like, 'Oh, like this is crazy,'” said Ley. “Just trying to have people find those things that mean something to them, where they remember the concert they were at, or you know what I mean? That kind of thing. So just nostalgia is a big part of it, too.”

Ley is working to create a community of creativity and culture and help Ohioans like Revelation Sanders, a customer, revamp their style. 

“I definitely like to find clothes that aren't the same as everybody else's. I like to have my own little, you know, drip, you know, style, and this is a great place to get it,” said Sanders. “There's no shop like this. Most stores you go to, you find resale prices which are like $400 or $500, which isn't necessarily affordable for students. I'm a student. I'm broke. So coming here you can come find a shirt for $20, $30 and still look good and somebody be like where'd you get that from?” 

It’s a place where the past supports the future, that’s why he calls it The Loop.

The Loop Vintage is open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, click here.