The Making of Girlcoded Vintage
The spring is a great time to declutter and make some extra money. However, little did Chelsey Lopez know that a simple spring cleaning project would turn into a full-fledged business.
It all began one day when Lopez and her mom decided to sort through their old stuff. “We quickly realized how much clothing we had stored over the years,” Lopez said. That’s when she had the idea that maybe she could make some quick cash off of some of her unwanted items. “I picked out some of my favorite pieces and listed them online,” Lopez said.
Once she ran out of her own clothing, Lopez began sourcing clothing and that’s where Girlcoded started. Girlcoded is a new vintage store in Long Beach that sells a curated collection of ‘90s and 2000s women's clothing.
Girlcoded at the flea market. Photo courtesy of @girlcodedvintage on Instagram.
Lopez chose this era of clothing because it reflected her own personal style. She recalls that one of her favorite 2000s pieces was a thrifted beaded Sue Wong dress. “It’s a pink salmon color with the most beautiful and intricate beaded flowers along the midi dress,” Lopez said.
It’s no secret that the Y2K aesthetic has been trending in fashion for a while. But Lopez believes that shopping secondhand for the Y2K trend is the way to go. “It’s interesting to see them try to replicate these popular ‘90s and 2000s pieces which are much lower quality,” she said. “So buying secondhand is always a better alternative than supporting any fast fashion brands.”
Lopez picked the name Girlcoded because she felt that it resonated with her clothing and her audience. Lopez said:
The Y2K aesthetic has become all the rage lately. Photo courtesy of @girlcodedvintage on Instagram.
“I brainstormed a bunch of names and eventually landed on Girlcoded because when I found myself sourcing and sharing my finds with friends, it would always end up with me saying a piece was so coded. For example, like model off-duty-coded or summer-coded. I wanted to incorporate the coded for sure, and girl-coded just came so naturally I knew it was a perfect fit.”
Girlcoded first started selling at local flea markets, and since 2020 Lopez has sold at over 10 different flea markets in the SoCal area.
Selling at flea markets eventually led Lopez to open her own store. Girlcoded officially opened in January 2024.
“After a crazy month of prepping the shop, the grand opening of my store was such a unique experience that I am grateful to have experienced,” she said. “Many people around the neighborhood also popped in and congratulated me. It made me feel welcomed into the neighborhood, and in these moments I knew I had made the correct choice staying within my own community.”
Girlcoded in store. Photo courtesy of @girlcodedvintage on Instagram.
Lopez hopes that Girlcoded can support and empower girls with their personal style. In addition, she aspires to produce a sustainable clothing line one day in the future. Lopez explains that there has been a growing conversation surrounding sustainability in the fashion community and she believes that her brand can align with that value.
“With the amount of clothing waste produced yearly, by shopping second hand we’re able to enjoy cute and unique pieces while also taking our environment into consideration,” Lopez said.
She also desires to grow her brand into a co-op store to be able to host different vintage vendors so she can give back to the vintage clothing community. “The vintage community is the reason Girlcoded is successful so I want to make sure I can one day thank them for the support they have given me since the beginning,” Lopez said.
Find Girlcoded on Instagram @girlcodedvintage and in store.
5470 Long Beach Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90805
Open Monday - Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays.