We heard giggles and the pop n’ crackle of ‘70s slow jams on vinyl. As we followed the dizzying scent of motor exhaust fumes down the intricate alleyways of a longtang on Jianguo Xi Lu, we-- OK, nevermind. This isn't Daily Secret. I'm not going to tell you that this place that's been open for a good two months and often half-filled with shoppers is a "hidden gem". Annata is a new-ish boutique that sells vintage finds that its owners, Julia and Ting, have hand-picked during their travels abroad. They're sticklers for details, so pretty much everything in sight is vintage: the decor, the furniture in the outdoor garden and even a 1930s boudoir-themed dressing room. But before we get into all those juicy details -- here’s the thing about vintage shopping in Shanghai. If you really love the stuff, you’ll happily dig through the crap piles at Anxi Secondhand Market for the occasional excellent vintage find, right? These places might not be very chic, but you’re usually paying a reasonable amount for clothing that you likely won’t find anywhere else –- and that price is often open for negotiation. So if you're anything like me, you probably appreciate these fancy vintage boutique stores but rarely, if ever, actually buy anything from them. I wish I could say that it’s fueled by principle, that I can’t support an operation that seems to be placing inflated markups on vintage stuff I could get elsewhere with a bit more leg work, or on the annual visit back home. But really, I'm just scared off by the price tags. This is the mindset I had going into Annata and when I spoke with Julia and Ting. I couldn’t help but ask them: “Why would someone choose to buy vintage stuff here?” Julia gives me a knowing look. It’s clear that she’s dealt with this before. “The thing is, it’s hard for us to survive if we price things too high or too low. We find and bring every item here ourselves… these are often rare or hard-to-find pieces. Everything you see here is sourced from vintage places abroad. A lot of our stuff comes from Italy and the UK, and we go to the vintage sources ourselves and talk wholesale prices with them.” She points to the detailing on her blazer: “And, I think most people can appreciate that with most vintage, the quality is still really great. I mean, look at this -– the trimmings, the details, the workmanship -– how much would you have to pay to get something like that tailored? A lot. I love that with most of these pieces, you can see the technique that was involved.” I’ll admit that I already started softening -- no less because at this point, I actually got a good look at the clothes (and their price tags) and found that the combination of quality and cost is pretty good -– better than I’d expected, anyway. They have racks full of fantastic vintage dresses, from the casual housewife-y type to really elaborate cocktail dresses. These run around 250-400rmb on average, though the really fancy sequined dresses go up to 1000rmb or so. Julia and Ting also put in handwritten details about the origin of each item on the price tag, such as “'70s Japan” or “'50s-'60s England” -- a nice touch. Left: Julia wearing '50s nautical jacket, France, 300rmb; '50s flower brooch, Italy, 120rmb; and '80s pencil skirt, Japan, 250rmb. On right: Ting wearing '80s crop top, Slovenia, 300rmb; '80s earrings, Italy, 120rmb; and '80s turquoise pants, USA, 290rmb. Left: Margot wearing '70s picnic dress, Japan, 350rmb; '80s Versace pumps, Italy, 500rmb. On right: Julia wearing '90s denim jumpsuit, Korea, 400rmb; '70s t-stripe sandals, Italy, 400rmb; velvet Jeanne Lanvin hat (reproduction), France, 450rmb Julia and Ting also prepare a cup of hand-ground coffee for any visitor who wants one, and on one of our visits, I overheard them sharing travel stories with an engaged couple visiting from Beijing. Apparently that kind of thing happens a lot here -- people come in, poke around and end up staying awhile to chat. Really nice vibe about the place. But, while Julia tells me that more people are getting into vintage in Shanghai, she still encounters some lukewarm reactions here and there. “I appreciate places like Lolo Love Vintage starting out here. I’m sure they had a really hard time when they first came out and the concept of vintage was still not so accepted. Chinese people, like my mom's generation, especially have a hard time to accept buying shoes that have already been worn. But I think that that is slowly becoming more accepted and liked.” Ting wearing 60's dress, Japan, 380rmb; 80's earrings, USA, 88rmb; 50's cateye glasses, Japan, 380rmb; 70's pumps, UK, 800rmb. The two seem really keen on getting like-minded vintage lovers together, saying: "We don't ever throw things away. It's all about keeping vintage alive and giving pieces the life span that they're meant to have -- vintage pieces can always find a new home." They tell us that further down the line, Annata will start hosting book exchanges, as well as events like clothing swaps and theater performances, in addition to the casual get-togethers that go on in the store's outdoor garden. So far these are all in planning stages, with the exception of those impromptu garden parties, but we'll be sure to keep you posted on any news on upcoming Annata events as they happen. For a full listing of Annata Vintage, click here.