It’s a windy March day in Baton Rouge, and Time Warp Boutique has just unlocked its doors. Staff members in their 20s tend to eclectically dressed mannequins while two elderly women nose through the outdoor rack.
Owner Joshua Holder doesn’t have a specific demographic in mind when orchestrating displays or hand-picking items from buyers he works with in Los Angeles and Austin. He’s seen customers ranging from 15 to 68 years of age. The shop has had patrons from as far as Canada and London and has even catered to celebrities, like indie songstress Jenny Lewis.
Some customers come in pursuit of pieces for their wardrobes, while others thumb hangers to get a blast from the past. One thing they all share? The love of vintage fashion.
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“Time Warp isn’t just an experience. It’s one of those things where I can’t really put my finger on what we’ve created,” Holder says. “It’s a place for people to come celebrate themselves and find themselves through their clothing.”
And in its 25th year of business, Time Warp is proving that past fashion is so much more special than fast fashion. In that time, Holder has helped the store catapult to local stardom.
“I’m very proud of the reception I’ve had in Baton Rouge,” he says. “Time Warp has just been celebrated since the day it opened by so many different people. … We’ve had such a good run. It’s been great, and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.”
A vintage movement has swept the nation over the last decade. Apparel resale grew at seven times the rate of the overall retail industry in 2023, according to The New York Times. In Baton Rouge, that’s translated to an explosion of new secondhand shopping options, from Remember That’s Vintage on Jefferson Highway to Rouge House on Brightside Drive. But Time Warp is arguably the OG.
With bumping tunes setting the mood, the scent of incense wafting through the air, and racks and displays organized by time periods and styles, this store is nothing like digging through a box of old hand-me-downs or estate sale scavenging.
It’s a curated experience that can’t be compared to the average thrift store.
Secondhand apparel sales in the U.S. grew at seven times the rate of overall retail sales in 2023.
[Source: The New York Times]
“Everything is hand picked by style or by what we want to bring into our store,” Holder says. “It’s not a free-for-all. We literally look for certain styles that are possibly either A. trending, or B. up-and-coming for us and what we think is going to be cool next. We find those garments, we dry-clean, wash, press, steam, mend and then put (them) out. So, a lot of love and labor goes into those garments.”
The bustling sales floor brims with about 3,000 garments a month. Aside from the fully vintage clothing selection, there are pre-loved accessories, shoes and lots and lots of denim. Modern jewelry, hair clips and gifts are mixed in, but Holder says every new item fits. On eBay, Time Warp reaches global customers searching for past designer pieces and delicate, decades-old dresses, skirts and more.
Before it was such a sprawling vintage mecca, it all started inside the Honeymoon Bungalow in 2000. The former Mid City antique shop, which closed in 2016, was once situated where Elsie’s Plate & Pie now resides. And the original Time Warp concept began stuffed inside a humble armoire in the store.
“That’s where we first put vintage clothes,” Holder says. “And it started to quickly take off to where it was constantly empty. So, we would have to fill it up, fill it up, fill it up.”
Time Warp moved into its first 750-square-foot storefront on Hearthstone Drive in 2001, where Holder managed and helped grow the shop. In 2011, he became the owner, taking over from Marsha Rish.
By then, Time Warp had moved into its current spot on Government Street, not too far from where it got its start. Now, Time Warp has around 3,000 square feet of space to spread out its wares. But just like that old armoire, Holder says he’s constantly refilling his store with inventory.
To keep a stylish supply of one-of-a-kind merchandise, Holder forecasts trends and develops mood boards to decide the vibe of the season. Spoiler alert: It looks like it’s going to be a “horse girl” summer.
But Holder doesn’t do this alone. He’s always had a diverse cast of young fashionistas on staff to help keep him up-to-date on the wants of today’s vintage lovers.
“Time Warp isn’t just an experience. … It’s a place for people to come celebrate themselves and find themselves through their clothing.”
[Owner Joshua Holder]
And though he’s been around since the beginnings and has been dressing vintage since his teenage days, Holder still doesn’t consider his personal style groundbreaking. He likes to mix modern and vintage pieces. And, of course, he gets first dibs on anything that stops him in his tracks at the store. Even after 25 years, pieces continue to wow him.
His favorite part of running Time Warp? Helping customers find something new.
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“I can do style, but I’m not the best dressed in Baton Rouge,” Holder says. “That’s never my goal. But I want you to be the best dressed.”
Even after all its eras, Holder says Time Warp continues to reach goals year after year. And at 25—now old enough to be considered “vintage,” too—Time Warp has proven there’s nothing quite so timeless as vintage clothing.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.