This picture may say otherwise, but easy on the costume jewelry.

“We cater to swingers, hipsters of all stripes, and rockabillies,” Todd Lyons, co-owner of Fashionista Vintage and Variety proclaimed, standing proudly behind the counter in her 2,000 square foot store on the second floor of 33 Church Street. But even if you don’t fit squarely into these three categories, rest assured, Fashionista has something for you.

The store opened in its current location in Mar-ch, 2008, after spending one month on Court Street.. The fashion haven is co-owned by Lyons and Nancy Shea, who began their business by holding an underground vintage tag-sale each month and selling their own clothing. Lyons was once a member of a swing band, which gave her a ready supply of vintage clothing. Word spread over e-mail, and eventually clothing came pouring in for the two to sell. The scale of the business greatly increased when the partners bought the estate of a family who had owned a dry-cleaning business, acquiring rack upon rack of freshly laundered vintage clothing. Lyons and Shea also bought another estate that had belonged to a woman whom Lyons describes as having “a bit of a hoarding problem,” and added the woman’s vast jewelry collection to their stockpile.

At this point, you are probably saying to your-self, “Enough with the backstory! Tell me if they have clothes I could wear to a theme party! Or better yet, clothes that were made before my parents were even born!” Well, I have an answer to your prayers: The clothing at Fashionista spans across four decades, from the ’40s to the ’80s. The clothes don’t extend much out of that range, because Lyons and Shea have found that things made before the forties are rarely wearable, and Lyons claims that she has a hard time even thinking of clothing from the ’80s as “vintage.”

Fashionista doesn’t boast the thrifty prices of Salvation Army and some of the clothing will set you back a pretty penny. Whether 60 dollars is too much to spend on a pair of vintage ’50s embroidered red leather cowboy boots is up to you, but FYI they were fabulous. If your body says yes but your mind says no, just listen to your body: Those boots were made for walking.

What other fashion finds can be ogled at Fashionista? An impressively large wedding dress collection hangs by the far wall, looking like it was shat on by a sequin monster. Chunky costume jewelry is arrayed on expansive tables, and clip-on earrings abound. An old-school pipe, the kind you wish your grandfather had smoked, or at least passed down to you so you could smoke was sitting atop a pile of safe-sex posters, and I was delighted to see a small dish labeled “Lost Causes” containing vintage pins from failed political campaigns.

For the girl who knows that she belongs to another era, there are frothy ’50s prom dresses aplenty and a cozy nook that 10 full-blown petticoats call home. A surprisingly cool part of the store was the men’s section: Colorful, beautifully-made plaid and tweed blazers filled the racks, and I entertained a brief fantasy of all young male Yalies attending class wearing these dapper jackets. Wouldn’t Yale be a better place if the boy next to you in Lit class was wearing a gorgeous baby blue and red tweed blazer? I think yes.

While many stores that describe themselves as vintage really only have acollection of sad and droopy looking cast-offs, most everything at Fashionista is vibrant, bright, and fun. Plus, there is the added excitement of knowing that each piece of clothing has its own history, its own unique identity. Someone went to prom in that sequined pink dress, passed their bio final wearing that cashmere sweater, and did God only knows what in that black rhinestoned unitard with fur trim!

Fashionista also has provided costumes for Yale productions such as the upcoming Joe Orton’s “What the Butler Saw”, set to open in Oct. “The costumes are very Mad Men,” said Lyons. The store also is available for rent as a party space (themed parties such as murder mysteries or Vegas nights are suggested). The party option echoes the attitude of the whole store: It is a place to unwind and release your fashion inhibitions.

So perhaps next time you go to a themed party on campus or a dance calls for ’80s apparel, instead of flocking in droves to American Apparel to buy cookie-cutter sequin leggings and crop tops, channel the spirit of the owners of Fashionista, and take a real trip back in time.