Ahab Bowen

This place is one hell of a quality vintage clothing store. Unlike many places I have gone, there is nothing junky about Ahab Bowen. There is a lot of scrutiny that goes into the clothes that they put out. They are cleaned, pressed, steamed, and cared for.
There is quite a selection here, too! Dresses, hats, tops, skirts, and shoes, along with an amazing array of jewelry and other accessories. Everything is well-​organized, so it’s easy to find things. I have a few pieces I have bought here, and I love them, including a fabulous mod coat! The clothes are worth the prices here, because of their good quality. If you want a vintage piece meant to last, go here.

I’ve traveled across the across going to vintage stores far and wide from San Francisco to LA to New York and this place is up there with the best of ‘em. My boyfriend and I are rather picky shoppers and both of us found some things here. They have lots of mens and women’s clothing, great costume jewelry and a delightful selection of clutches and bags.
All the articles were very clean and well-​organized and in great condition. I could tell the store owner was selective right away. You know when you go to a vintage place and the clothes initially look good on the rack from the side and then you start going through them and half are actually duds? Not here, everything is quality vintage.
Some people mentioned the prices being high, but having shopped in NY and LA, comparable items there would be twice as much. I found the prices to be very reasonable considering the pleasant shopping experience. I’ll definitely come back next time I’m in Dallas.

This is probably one of the best vintage shops you can find in the Dallas area, hands-​down. It’s got so many selections, especially for the ladies, ranging from the 1920s-​present. And I must say, they have some snazzy wear all over the place!
It was really refreshing to be able to see so many vintage pieces, and these aren’t rinky-​dink type of stuff. This is the real deal.
Wonderful organization, selection, and location! Go have a look if you’re ever in need of a shopping adventure (;

Such a clean and lovely place! I walked from my hotel downtown and found myself rewarded with three (Three!) Gunnies*. The arrangement of items is so pleasing, so easy (the rainbow of mens’ t-​shirts: correct order!). The staff were helpful and human, not imposing or cold at all.
I love it~
The prices *are* a bit high, yes. However, my pocketbook fared far better than it would have with similar items on, say, Etsy. Furthermore, their wares aren’t crap. If I lived anywhere near Dallas, I’m certain I would stop in at least monthly.
*only two fit well enough to go home with me. TnT

Ahab Bowen is a top-​notch vintage clothing shop. They are located in Uptown (but we’ll forgive them). The shop is in Dallas’ oldest house that is still on its original foundation, which is pretty cool. I don’t know who they have handpicking all the clothes, but whoever it is, really knows what they’re doing. They always have a great selection. If you don’t have the patience to go treasure hunting at thrift stores, let Ahab Bowen do the work for you. They’ll pick out the gems and offer them at very good prices.
I went in last week, after not having gone in for quite a long time. My target… pants! They were running a great sale and I thought I might try buying some trousers and having them tailored (which I knew nothing about at the time). I asked the ladies working there about tailoring and for their opinions on the pants I was buying. They were SO helpful! I walked out with 3 pairs of pants for about 35 bucks, had them tailored, and they look and fit great. One of the ladies also spent some time with me while I tried to find a nice jacket as well. All of the employees were just exceptionally nice and extremely helpful. I HIGHLY recommend this place if you’re into vintage clothes.

This place can be overwhelming, but in an awesome way. So many fun items of the past. Their jewelry selection is so much fun just to admire. If you feel like having a girly movie montage with ‘Pretty Woman’ playing in the background then this is the place. The have a vast array of fur coats, fun pea coats, crazy-​ass disco suits, everything! Fun shoes to boot!
I don’t know what it is about vintage stores but they always come with a funky and fun staff. Well, Ahab Bowen is just that. A fun store accompanied with a fun staff.

Not huge into vintage clothing, or really shopping, but stopped by before NYE looking for white pants. Didn’t find them but this place has some hot threads and low prices. They had what looked like real prison guard uniform shirts in case your starting a job as one.
Cool historic marker in the front.

I recently started a position as a personal assistant and my first «assignment» was to find a white, American Made shirt for my boss. I tried calling 3 vintage stores that I frequent with the same response «we’re too busy to look» (I called on a Tuesday around 11) or we don’t do searches. So I called tried and true Ahab Bowen (this is where I got my husband’s wedding suit) and was greeted by a super courteous employee who searched, found the shirt and put it on hold for me. It ended up being the perfect match for my boss. Thanks so much for making my job easier AB.
For years AB has been the cleanest, friendliest and most well organized vintage store in Dallas and they just keep on going.
Kudos

This weekend was the first time i went to ahab bowen. it was in a cool part of town ive never been in and it was generally easy to find. i go to a lot of thrift stores around dallas and i have heard good things so i thought i would check it out.
the store itself is extremely clean and organized and it has a great atmosphere. but the prices kind of ruin the whole thing. i was looking at some of their accessories and i looked at some belt buckles and i wanted to buy one for my boyfriend, but when i looked at the price on the back it said $ 50! its a cool place to kind of look around but everything was way too expensive.

I LOVE this place. I am big into vintage clothing, and this is one of my favorite places to go in Dallas.
First off, the quality is excellent. I have found so many amazing pieces from here that were in pristine condition.
The store is also laid out in a way that makes it easy to shop. It doesn’t seem like there is a lot of clothing in the women’s section, but it seems like there is always a lot of good stuff from among what is there. And I prefer that to having to sift through a load of stuff to find one good piece.
The prices are VERY good for vintage, and there is a different color tag each day that is 25 — 50% percent off. I have gotten some gorgeous things for a steal because of the daily sale.
I have always found the sales associates to be helpful but not too helpful.
This is my place to go to find something awesome that no one else will have. I love it.

I love this store! I was there looking for a western outfit for an upcoming band gig, but only had a foggy vision of what that might be. The ladies at this store went out of their way to help me find exactly what I thought I might be looking for and with their input, I struck gold!
The store is very organized and clean and comfortable. Very affordable clothing too. I found an awesome belt buckle too! I will be back!

Ahab Bowen.
My wife liked all the boas that were hanging out in the front lawn, and had stated she had always wanted to go in, but it was usually closed when ahe was nearby. So I guess it can be limited hours.
On the Inside, there are 4 bedroom-​sized rooms with jewelry and vintage clothing. The clothing seemed fairly priced. The dressing room doubles as the bathroom so there’s a big bonus!
I was nearly finished checking out at the register with Lainey when I noticed the men’s section in the big room in the back — hadn’t even seen this. A lot of very cool re-​threads, however some of it was a bit meh. There were some hats I coud *swear* I just saw in Target. I think this place is cool — but more so for the ladies.
All in all pretty cool place for nicer vintage threads.

It was fine, as far as thrift stores go. Not the biggest selection, but everything was neat, clean, and organized and priced averagely.
Staff seemed friendly enough. There was actually a little dressing room area for trying on clothes, which is something not all thrift stores have, especially one this small.
The most impressive thing about Ahab Bowen was the jewelry selection. LOTS of jewelry and stuff that people might actually wear.
And I agree with Scott L… the history behind the house makes it that much more interesting. Check it out.

Probably the coolest thing about this place is the house, it’s named after the guy who used to live in it. There’s a historical marker in front of the house outside. The second coolest thing is the selection of vintage clothes. Some of it’s very cool, some of it’s almost like thrift, and basically if I’m going to pay $ 40 for a shirt I’d probably rather get it new.
My friend was dressing up for a 50’s Hollywood party, and they hooked him up, although I had to do a little pushing. Cool staff, but maybe a little too cool.

This place is a treasure chest! Whoever buys or chooses the clothes, shoes & accessories really has a great eye! I was searching for Western Shirts for the hubby and I found 5 amazing shirts, in immaculate condition, 2 of them on sale! I got all 5 for $ 86, just about what you would pay for one shirt at Sheppler’s, And these shirts have character and are well made.
Bravo!
The staff was great, helpful and knowledgeable, This place is a gem!

Since I was raised by a thrift store queen, I have been in my share of second-​hand stores over my lifetime. Ahab Bowen is perhaps the nicest where a regular person (non-​millionaire) could actually find something useful and affordable.
My sweetie and I went looking for vintage clothes (19 402 through early 60s) one Saturday. Although I didn’t think that they had much for me, the staff found several gems for her. They were extremely helpful, offered suggestions and recommended accessories that matched her new acquisitions. Great service, friendly attitude.
So why 4 stars? Well, for women I would rate it 5 all the way. For men, I would say 2. The clothes really were limited to 70s and 80s, mostly western shirts and T-​shirts. However, I would recommend visiting them regardless of what your needs are. They will steer you some place else if they don’t carry your item and you will have fun browsing.

For most guys, shopping for clothes is like kryptonite — it sucks the life right out of us. Likewise, it’s an anathema to me so I’m startled to find myself itching to write a review on a vintage clothing shop, but dudes, this place is seriously rad. I have to share the good news.
I’ve been to many a thrift store or vintage shop and most places are seriously in need of a makeover. For the thrill of the hunt, you can burrow your way through stacks of chattel and uncover the occasional vintage gem or two. At Ahab Bowen, you’ll feel like you’re winning the lottery with every item you pick out because this place is so neatly organized and the items are all high quality. Stepping into the shop it feels like a boutique store versus a vintage store. In 10 minutes, I had an armful of 70’s vintage tops and bottoms. And for those of us uncoordinated fashionistas, Ahab Bowen makes it easy to find your outfit with the labels that mark the genre. This place has an awesome selection of 70’s and 80’s period outfits. And unlike every other store, they don’t skimp on guy’s selections — there are two whole rooms dedicated to guy’s clothes.
The folks who man the shop are über friendly. Even though I snuck in 10 minutes before closing time, they stayed open late and didn’t rush me as I tried on outfits. They have as much fun helping you out with your outfit that it felt like I was shopping with some girlfriends. It was actually sorta fun… hold the phone, did I just say shopping was fun? Get a hold of yourself Brian. Seriously, Ahab Bowen is one of the very very few places I would admit saying I enjoy shopping for clothes. Finding parking can be tough sometimes, but this place is worth it.

Duuuuuuuuuuuudddddeeee… if you haven’t checked this place out, then I dont understand you. It’s THE perfect Saturday afternoon quick stop to look through some of the most BRILLIANT vintage T’s in Dallas, cool jewelry and sunglasses… and if you can fit in the shoes, then by all means…
Seri​ously​.it may not be the GREATEST place for girls to go find a vintage treasure, unless you are looking for bizarre old dresses and weird looking sweaters that barely fit a barbie doll (to each their own)…but it is definitely a treasure chest for guys… even I like to look thru the racks of T’s to see if I find a must-have.PLUS their hats and Fedora’s…AWE. SOME.
Go. Look. Laugh. Find that shirt that you will wear every Saturday night out for the next month cause every time you do someone will point and say «DUDE! That shirt is HYSTERICAL! Where on earth did you find it!»…cue your «well there is this brilliant girl on Unilocal that wrote a review on this awesome place…»
…I’ll be the one in the guys section wearing the pink Boa and trying on silk smoking jackets…

I’m so sad I found out about this place so late! First of all it’s walking distance from my apartments which is a plus because the parking is kind of complicated. Secondly, I am simply in love.
Their selection of hats and accessories are fabulous. I bought a really cute hat that I ended up wearing all weekend. Their men selection is surprisingly stacked. They had a ton of t-​shirts and button ups but sort of lacked in the bottoms and shoes.
Lets just say my wallet is bare but I will definitely be returning!
Ariza

I figured out why this place is a historic monument. And duh, Mel. The store is named after Ahab Bowen, a farmer who moved to Dallas from Tennessee back in 1861. Built back in 1874, this store was his home and is now one of the last examples of what the farmhouses looked like in Dallas back in the day. So there you go. The more you know.
On to more awesomeness! As soon as you step through the door, you are greeted by the kind employees who tell you all about the sales and specials going on. I just so happened to wander in during the Back To School sale where everything that didn’t have a yellow tag on it was half off. Alright! I was good though, I promise.
This store is just set up so neatly. It’s so very shop-​pable, meaning that the clothes are hung and organized nicely and the accessories and hats fill in the blanks, not clutter the hell out of the space. Rows of vests, cowboy snap-​ups, blouses and prom dresses hang from different racks, so it’s easy to get around. Check out the killer boots that line the small hallway as you work your way to the boy’s section in the back. There are always tons of hats to choose from as well as T-​shirts organized by color. The tees usually go for $ 18, and I think that’s a bit cheaper than some other re-​sale shops in the area.
Check this place out next time you’re in Uptown. It’s the cute little house with boa’s hanging from the trees. The feather scarves, not the snakes.