Joe Steffes

Jacket worn by the chief engineer aboard the RMS Homeric in the 1880s-90s

Walking through the halls of Mounds View with a Victorian waistcoat and trousers from the 1900s is none other than senior Joseph Steffes. A history and classical movie enthusiast, Steffes has been collecting vintage clothing since his freshman year, taking inspiration from the clothing styles of actors like Fred Astaire. 

Steffes especially likes collecting clothes from the 1940s and 1950s — an era marked by fedora hats, collared shirts, knit vests and zoot suits, among other pieces. No matter the era though, each new garment he collects has an interesting historical backstory from its unique time period. “I have a pair of pants that came all the way from Savile Row, a famous tailoring spot in London. I just think it’s very interesting to learn the history behind the stuff and the people who actually wore it,” Steffes said. 

Many of Steffes’ clothing pieces were purchased from online platforms, such as eBay and Etsy. He also frequents vintage clothing stores like Lula, Upsix and Everyday People, as well as a variety of antique stores. “There’s some pretty good antique stores in Stillwater. They don’t have as much clothing, per se, but generally, I’d say they’re a cheaper price, or more reasonable,” he said. “I’d say my favorite [store] there probably is the Midtown Antique Mall.” 

So far, Steffes’s collection is nothing short of impressive. Some of his favorites include a 1921 White Star Line Jacket worn by the chief engineer aboard the RMS Homeric, an 1880-90s Victorian suit made of corded wool and an 1830s waistcoat — the oldest in his collection. 

Yet, the hidden gems do not stop there. Once, Steffes even acquired a pair of trousers worn by actor Tommy Lab from his favorite musical of all time, White Christmas. “I actually recognize the trousers because I’ve seen that movie so many times, and there, I actually recognized the scene that they were from,” he said. “I was able to find examples from the same movie of other people — pretty much identical costume trousers, and they seem to be authentic.” 

In the vintage clothing world, part of the challenge is verifying the authenticity of these pieces. Steffes says that union labels, such as the ACWU (Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America), and zippers are key identifiers for him. “I would say always look to see if it has a metal zipper because a metal zipper is a sign that it’s probably from the ‘60s or older. And I would say, also, look at the brand of zipper because if it’s a Talon or a different type of zipper, it’s likely also older because YKK zippers didn’t really enter America until the 1960s,” he said.   

Steffes’s vintage collection not only showcases his passion for history, but it is also useful in his other activities at Mounds View, such as theater. During the 2024 fall play, he wore a piece from his collection, which came straight from the Jane Austen era and added a layer of authenticity to his character. “For Pride and Prejudice, since I was playing Mr. Collins, who’s kind of a priest, I actually had this old clerical collar priest frock coat from the turn of the century, which worked perfectly for the costume,” Steffes said. 

Furthermore, since Steffes began wearing his vintage clothes to school frequently, his friends encouraged him to start an Instagram account, @joes_vintage_clothes. “I actually got a lot of requests…maybe a year and a half ago because people would be like, ‘Oh, is that out from the ‘50s today?’ or something like that.” he said. Steffes poses in various outfits and captions each post with the specific eras of the garments he wears. 

Moving forward, Steffes hopes to double major in history and theater. He also hopes to combine the two fields and work on costuming. “Something I think would be very interesting to do is try to work on historical costumes because I know a lot about historical menswear, and I think it’d be very interesting to learn how that process is done,” Steffes said. Though he admits that this may be a little ambitious for now, he still plans to continue collecting vintage clothing, discovering more about the past one garment at a time.