Vintage vision

Just around the corner of 10th and Main is a bright green shop you might have passed before. Owner Jeremy Borum, an OSU alumnus, might greet you upon arrival, but usually his friendly husky dog, Coda, will reach the door first.

17B is a vintage clothing store located in downtown Stillwater. Borum, an Oklahoma City native, not only owns the shop but is also the designer and creator of the line Pure Garage, which is sold at 17B.

Borum opened the store in 2002 before completing his marketing degree in 2004. Business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 2-6 p.m.

After scouring several thrift stores along the East Coast, Borum said he had little money but a lot of vintage clothes and his own handmade leather cuffs. He then considered selling the items on eBay but instead decided to set his sights higher and open a store in Stillwater.

"When I think back," Borum said. "It's kind of amazing that it worked."

The store was more of a hangout spot in the beginning, Borum said. Now, customers find it filled wall to wall with unique, eclectic items, all which Borum found or created, including screen-printed T-shirts, vintage cowboy boots and leather cuffs, belts and wallets.

"It's all my style," Borum said. "I'm not worried about being trendy."

The designs and products in the store are Borum's passion, and he said he feels fortunate and lucky to have built something out of nothing, according to the store's Web site, www.puregarageclothing.com.

"Being on the outskirts of downtown fits the personality of the store," Borum said. "The building is old and has a lot of character, as opposed to being in a strip mall; I can turn my music up and not bother anybody."

Hayley Nichols, a graphic design and studio art student at OSU, met Borum a few years ago and has since helped him with several projects, including the sign hanging outside his store.

"What he's doing as a local artist is important," Nichols said. "His store is a little treasure, and he cares about each thing he makes."

OSU fans will find a unique alternative to the typical game day shirt at 17B. A lot of Borum's designs include black and orange colors and cowboy images printed on high-quality, cotton T-shirts.

Nichols said the shop is not like a usual T-shirt shop and Borum is always coming up with new ways of doing and creating even as a one-man operation.

"It's important to support local businesses in Stillwater," said Nichols, who runs Project Gallery, an art gallery in downtown Stillwater.

"His pieces are unique because customers have direct contact with the person who made the shirt instead of a retailer."

A large selection of the store's clothing can be found for sale at Vault Video, located in downtown Stillwater next to Louie's. The video store has men and women's T-shirts as well as the leather cuffs.

"It's a really nice fit for both of us," Borum said. "They have longer daytime hours, so if someone can't make it into my store, they can always go down the street and see what we've got at Vault."

Blue Seven in Oklahoma City and Ida Red in Tulsa carry 17B products as well.

Most of the items range from $10 to $30. A popular item, the screen-printed T-shirts, are about $25, and the leather cuffs are $12 to $18.

Borum said some of his upcoming projects include recycled items, new T-shirt designs and personalized handmade cuffs. If you bring in a picture to the store, he can transfer it onto a piece of leather. The cuffs come in various sizes, and he can also make leather guitar straps, belts, wallets and dog collars.

Borum describes the store's style as "eclectic and individualistic" with unconventional, one-of-kind merchandise made from high-quality materials.

As for his vision for the store, Borum said, "It's an extension of me; whatever I want to do (for it), I do it."

Borum said his advice for aspiring business owners is not to expect to start out huge, do some research and have enough money saved up to live off of while you get your business going.

Different avenues of business is important, said Borum. If an item isn't selling, he contacts his buyers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to see if they're interested in more products. He also helps out local musicians, such as Taddy Porter, by designing its T-shirts and occasionally allowing them to play in the store.

Music is actually the inspiration behind the store's name. 17B was the famous highway to Woodstock in the late 60s. Travelers would get stuck on the highway on their way to the music festival and usually abandon their cars to race to the free three-day show. The highway is now a major attraction and stores along 17B sell Woodstock souvenirs and recordings of the artists who performed.

"I thought it was a cool, fitting name for the store," Borum said. "(17B) was the path of the place to be."

As for Borum's path, he said he wants his keep his products in Stillwater and doesn't plan to take the business elsewhere any time soon other than online, which will provide him more freedom to travel and work abroad.