Super fun store. I love one of a kind and vintage clothing and this place has it. Also it was a good time just walking around. The guy working there on 10/29 at 11am was super personable and he helped me find a totally cute pair of glasses. Totally recommend read more

Cognito Clothing - Women's Clothing Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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5 stars for STELLAR service by the owner, Janis! We stumbled upon Cognito Clothing on our trip to Santa Cruz and needed a few outfits for a Gatsby-themed party in LA. Cognito had an abundance of options and we found a few gorgeous pieces! My husband unfortunately left our purchased items at another cafe around the corner and Janis quickly worked with us to coordinate our order to be shipped to LA. We appreciated her incredible customer service, as any other business owner could have brushed it off and said too bad, as it was our own fault, however Janis went above and beyond to make sure we got our pieces shipped to LA and couldn'y be more grateful! We will absolutely be back when we visit Santa Cruz again. Just wanted to share about the kind-hearted owner who absolutely deserves all of the business!!! Please do yourself a favor and visit Cognito Clothing when you're in Santa Cruz! read more

Visiting from out of town and found this place. Some vintage and some new interesting clothing. Picked up a Blue Platypus sweatshirt that I LOVE. Really nice owner. Friendly vibes. read more

Very unique clothing store with vintage items and vibes cute tops and bottoms, dresses, glasses wigs ect . My wife loved the vibe the owner and her knowledge about clothing and costumes. Prices are great parking was very easy and there was a great selection of items. Will definitely be back and recommend this place to others. read more

This store is amazing!! Not only is the clothing beautiful and distinctive, and very well made, but the people running the store are charming, highly knowledgeable about what is in the store, and what styles work with what and whom, and just overall helpful. In addition the store is very size inclusive, and includes styles for all genders. There is even an extensive sale section and very well organized vintage clothing. If you are in Santa Cruz, stop by. I thought I had seen a lot of one-of-a-kind clothing stores living in northern NJ with easy access to Manhattan and Brooklyn, but none that charmed me like this one. My 21-year-old daughter danced with delight upon finding the perfect outfit here, by the way. read more

Was in search of a stylish underbust corset to complete my Halloween costume. This was the first and only store I went to! Told the young lady what I was looking for and they had a great selection of corsets! Very good quality! They have several beautiful pieces I wanted to buy but I will save for another time. Price is a matter of perspective, I but don't mind paying for quality pieces that'll last. Will post costume pic after Halloween read more

I just moved here from Utah and was just bumming around town . I came across this place and was looking for dresses . I have bought a few dresses from there now . Great in price and the super chill worker there always willing to help and carry's a great conversation. My boyfriend loves the dresses I get from here. read more

We were strolling down the street on our way to the thrift stores when the colorful dresses and shirts outside Cognito caught my eye. Most everything we saw was new/retro, not used/vintage, and the prices were not low (and I'm cheapo), but we did find a few really nice things, including a Tiki shirt. The woman who helped us (Leah?) was fantastic, and they get another star for her; she helped me find and pick out things for my hard-to-find XXL bod and S budget. Love the stuff I got! read more

This is a cute shop. I just feel a little bit on the pricey side. They do however have a decent clearance section. Yay!!! I was looking for a dapper outfit for Disneyland's Dapper Day. Can't wait!!! I discovered that 50's dresses don't look good on my short body. But if you are in a bind for time, Cognito will fill your needs with 50's clothes. Give ya that Rockabilly look. I had a good time looking around the shop. read more

This is one of series of fashion shops all in a row along the pacific avenue, this one specializing in dresses with pockets, along with various other flashy stuff such as purple velvet suits. Parking is street only which means there is no parking, so you can try the back lot or the side streets which alas also fill up quick. Most likely your best bet is ae the surface lots over off cathcart two ish blocks away. This is a small store that does do some vintage resale/consignment stuff, but the main focus here is on the owners retro styling clothing. Pretty much all the dresses have pockets by design which is mostly what the five star rating is for. The mens stuff-what there is of it-is so colorful I'd call it pimp style suits. Perfect for parties, dances, carnival, or any other occasion when you need/want to draw attention to yourself. Not in the slightest bit old fashioned or conservat.ive. There's also a fair amount of accessories because of course there is, but really here it's all about the dresses. The owner/designer/seamstress is pretty much always on site, and can do custom size jobs upon request assumed you've planned ahead though. Same say or even same week service is not possible. Pricing -outside of the sales rack items-will not be bargain items as such. You are looking at least a hundred plus bucks or so and very likely more. So unique colorful items with pockets? Yeah five stars. read more

This place has saved me-twice! They have excellent customer service a lot of unusual items. I needed a dress for and event and was hoping for something in black lace. My figure is tough to fit and I hadn't found anything. I found a gorgeous black lace dress with a slightly vintage look that was fabulous and elegant. The employee was also very helpful and offered unlimited zipper assistance. On another occasion I needed a tuxedo. Tuxes for woman are very challenging and the Men's Warehouse experience did not thrill me. Cognito had a large selection of vintage, quality tuxes and the owner was so helpful in getting the right fit. She was actually preparing to close but she raided the closet and kept bringing out choices. Her knowledge of how tailoring would affect the look of the garment was also really helpful. She also has nice tuxedo shirts and a supply of bowties and cumberbunds (which I didn't need). So for a lot less money than the suit I had ordered online and I got better quality and fit (after tailoring). I will definitely visit Cognito next time I need a special dress or garment! read more

After a not so great trip to santa cruz ( bad dinner at Aquarius..etc) we were on our way to go home when we spotted this street of cute little shops ( Pacific Ave). We stopped into Cognito and Leah welcomed us and was very friendly. After chatting for alittle bit, i picked out 2 items to try on, a green printed maxi halter dress, reminiscent of the 70's, and a brown mini dress with embroidery, very bohemian. LOVED THEM BOTH!!! I only wish Stockton had vintage clothing shops like this.. Will definately be back :) read more

Cognito Clothing - Women's Clothing Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This is a great place to shop! Not only do they have a wide variety of styles for men and women but the sales staff is so helpful.

Everyday wear, costume, special event, one-of-a-kind,vintage, local designers, etc.... I love pairing costume & costume-inspired pieces with street wear. Most pieces I find however look too Burning Man, or the material is cheap, or its cliché, or looks Hallweeny etc. Not here. The pricing vs quality was fantastic - I found well constructed pieces $10-$250 (love shopping in places that offer a wide range of price points). Some pieces are made by local designers, some come from costume theatre houses, others are vintage. Bustiers and flappers, to leisure suits and Russian faux fur hats for men. An array of color, fabric and periods represented. The smell. It smelled clean & cared for and that is rare (at least the ones I try to walk into before turning around to leave as I sneeze). No hint of moth balls, or mold or cats, or dust. Fantastic jewelry and special kudos for making everything in a semi-small space easy to peruse and look at without fighting to hang it back on the rack. The dressing rooms are small - doesnt bother me. My special thanks however goes to the woman who I interacted with. Im a fashion stylist (or was for 3 years when living in San Francisco) and I loved my job of dressing women and men. I love to be dressed well by someone who knows fabrics, terminology, periods, and most of all someone who loves what they do so much that they never give a hint that they're actually making money at it. I felt all these things from Leah. Also, before she touched me, she asked permission. I used to dress models and so I smiled and said, "Of course". She replied that a few of her customers had issues with skin sensitivity, or histories that touching without permission could feel like crossing boundaries. I admired how connected she was to her customer. I made my choices, and walked with a handmade bustier, a bronze multi-wrap choker, a petite top hot with delicate feathers and it was a joy wearing these to the Edwardian Ball the following week. 1) layout, smell and cleanliness of store 4**** (its impressive the amt they fit nicely in a small space but still a bit cramped to try on/mirrors). They do with best w/ avail space. 2) Customer service 5***** 3) Selection 5***** 4) Location & parking 5**** 5) Price range vs quality of clothing 5***** read more

While on the epic quest of finding the perfect dress, I stumbled upon Cognito. I went in, looked around, tried on two dresses, and said I would be back, since I was not 100% sure if the dress I was looking at was going to be THE ONE. After walking all up and down the street and finding nothing that struck my fancy, I decided to wander back to Cognito. This time, I grabbed a dress that was on sale, that I kinda liked before, but didn't try on, and went to see how it looked on me. I loved it, and when I opened the curtain to get some more lighting on it, the staff alerted me it was too big (even though it still fit right). She then went and grabbed the same dress in not only the smaller size, but in a different color as well. Between the two helpful ladies, we picked THE PERFECT DRESS! It fits like it was made for me, it is comfortable, and exactly what I was looking for. read more

While there was a well-categorized ample amount of vintage to browse here, I came up completely empty handed. Not just that, but I tried on the most unflattering piece of clothing I have ever had the displeasure of wearing in my life: a black Rothschild jumpsuit with gold zebra-like stripes and shoulder pads. The tapered legs and bulging middle made me feel like a ghetto clown. The other tunic thing I tried came in a close second for ugliest shirt ever, behind this plaid nightmare of a collared shirt I once saw in J. Crew back when I still shopped there. There were a few racks of nouveau-vintage here as well -- think rockabilly style -- but I was less interested in the new offerings. Moon Zooom and Retro Paradise are both in the same neighborhood and it would behoove you to check them out as well if you don't have any luck here. read more

Fun deals, great clothes and great service. Nice dog to enjoy too. At least, I think that was the shop dog. If you want a Betty Page era swim suit, you can find them well-made and a variety of sizes there. The costumes are very good quality and the retro duds are priced to impress. That is, impress your wallet. Now my favorite place to buy high-quality ranchero shirt with all the embroidery and the snap buttons. And the cool cat color of, what else, black! read more

I love this store. I bought a vintage Italian black tuxedo here for a song. The owner is super friendly and will help you find just the right outfit. She's a real doll! This shop is worth a look. They are located right on Pacific Street. There are a lot of similar establishments in a two block area so go crazy and stock up on vintage clothing. Highly recommend. Street parking and lots of restaurants nearby so why not shop and brunch? read more

I love this little store! The store is clean and well organized. I have bought many items here and will continue to drive over the hill to do so. They have a nice mix of vintage and new. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. Update 10/20 We are having a benefit on November 8th.....I went over to Santa Cruz to put up some posters...Kudos to the staff for agreeing to put up one for us!! Thank you for supporting us....We will continue to support you! read more

This shop is adorable. They have some amazing items in store but I just don't agree with their over the top price tags. Regardless, I still enjoy gawking while inside. read more

Great stuff. Very attentive staff. I hemorrhage money in that store. Great stuff for men, too.

I like this store because it has vintage-inspired dresses (like Stop Staring dresses, for instance) at a decent price. The staff has been friendly each time I've been there. Fringe culture scenes like Burning Man and goths and such will find interesting clothes and accessories there. read more

Came here while shopping in Santa Cruz for a Halloween costume. The women who work here are amazing, super sweet and just genuinly nice people all around. Will definetly come back next year for my costume needs or if I am in search of vintage gems. read more

This store was one of my favorite parts of my visit to Santa Cruz. The prices can be a bit high, but you're getting a quality, well-fitted product. I got the cutest little dress with pockets that will look great with a petticoat - and there were many different options available for my size sixteen hourglass body. I enjoyed interacting the woman who was working the counter; she was good-natured and very helpful in making sure I found what I was looking for. I will definitely make this a stop should I find myself down Santa Cruz way again. read more

Ultimately my daughter didn't find dress here, but the place is a hoot. Tons of stuff to look at the shop owner was extremely helpful. Definitely check it out! read more

Amazing vintage store with a great variety of clothes and sizes. I found the perfect vintage swimsuit after years of searching. The staff was friendly and super helpful! Thanks! read more

I would recommend this place to any guy needing formal wear. Salespeople were friendly, knowledgable, and super helpful. Service was quick and efficient. I am very happy with the way my suit looks and the fit is perfect. Plus, I got a great $20 deal on a jacket! Thank you, Cognito! read more

What a fun shop! Everything was so organized by era, etc. I will definitely be shopping there again. The owner was so nice and helpful.

I love Cognito Clothing for their beautiful, high quality pinup style clothing, which is not so easy to find!