Awhile back I was introduce to Mercantile through my former journalism teacher Carrie Wheeler. The way Carrie described this boutique/hair salon made it seem like it was a very hush-hush place, I believe speakeasy is the word she used, but now they are in plain view and welcoming everyone to come check out their chic space.
Mercantile is located at 828 North Central Ave., between McKinley and Roosevelt Avenues on Central Avenue, and is set between a row of small businesses just down the street from the ASU downtown campus. The shop is a collaborative effort between local artists, cosmetologists and Etsy shop owners. Among the ones involved is local letterpress company Seesaw Designs. At Mercantile you can find an array of their letterpress cards (3 for $10), and also their 2011 letterpress calendar ($30).
Also featured in the shop is Hailey’s Hand Me Downs, who carries hand-picked vintage clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Currently, they have some great dress, skirts and tops for women, really nice suits and shirts for men, and cute little dresses for that baby girl in your life.
The shop has an overall really good vibe to it. You walk in and to the left is one of the salon stations, so close to the window that if you were getting your hair cut and colored everyone would know that walked by (although that really isn’t embarrassing at all), and to the right you have rows of clothing that go all the way back. In the center of the room is a really awesome wooden table that holds various vintage goods, and to the left side is a chic couch and the Seesaw Designs’ goods. Toward the back of the room is a top-to-bottom wall display that houses more vintage goods and the shop’s record player (they had awesome music playing while I was there), and in the very back of the shop is the dressing rooms, another salon station and also the office.
Now that you have a good visual, I highly suggest going to Mercantile and taking a peek at all of their treasures.
The hours of the shop vary a bit, but they generally stick to a Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and they take hair clients Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
