The Club That Makes Vintage Feel New
A talk with The Thirteen Club founder Jac Tremblay on selling vintage in a crowded market, why styling has always been part of his approach, & the community that's joining the club for the long haul.
Vintage reselling has exploded over the past few years, but every once in a while, a project comes along that feels more considered—less like chasing trends and more like building something with a point of view. That’s how I’ve always felt about The Thirteen Club. The styling is sharp, the curation is tight without being precious, and somehow, it all manages to make old clothes feel not just relevant, but nearly new.
I got the chance to talk with Jac Tremblay, the Club’s founder, about how it came to be, where he pulls inspiration, and what’s next—from community building to his mainline denim drop coming next week!
Let’s start at the beginning…
Nathan: What’s the origin story behind The Thirteen Club?
*A floor lay from one of TTC’s weekly vintage drops.
Jac: I started selling vintage clothes eight years ago in my dad's basement while I was still in school. At first, most of my buyers were locals—I was doing story sales of pieces I found at a nearby raghouse and thrift stores.
Over time, I became more consistent with it, did some pop-ups, quit my side job to focus fully on this, and launched The Thirteen Club three years after my first thrift find.
In the beginning, it was nothing like what it is now, but it already had a more curated, aesthetic-focused vibe. I was running two pages at the time; the original, more local one, and TTC. It was a lot of work, but TTC quickly started gaining attention, and I eventually stopped putting time into the first project.
*Styled photoshoots have become the calling card for TTC’s weekly drops.
From the start, I always wanted it to be more than just a reselling business. I wanted to create something full of character—something different from what was out there at the time.
As for the name The Thirteen Club—I don’t talk about it much, but it was actually a real club founded in the late 1890s as a statement against superstition. The members didn’t believe in bad luck from breaking mirrors, seeing black cats, or anything related to the number 13. It really resonated with me, since 13 has been my lucky number for as long as I can remember.
Nathan: And you've clearly done that!
It's a refreshing shift from the SEO-ification of vintage shopping, which tends to have an, "eat this up little piggies" feeling to it -- ie, let's round up a bunch of sought-after or algorithmically-hyped pieces and sell them for top dollar just because we know people will buy it.
That leads to my follow up question: one thing that has always surprised me with your releases is the price point. You're not price-gouging, and while the prices aren't cheap, they are very reasonable compared to other, similarly well-curated resellers.
Is that an intentional choice, or just a happy, balance-sheet-friendly accident?
Jac: I think, for the most part, we're trying to keep things as accessible as possible for the customer. We like the idea of not overcharging just because something is trendy. Good stuff comes and goes, I don’t need top dollar for everything. We always have tons of inventory. I'm happy with it, the customers are happy with it, it's a win-win.
What resonates most about The Thirteen Club is the styling…
Nathan: Vintage clothing often feels like chasing individual pieces rather than shopping for cohesive looks (lots of floor lays of one piece, and not a lot of modeling), especially in ways that feel so well-considered, but you've continued to find a way to bring together beautiful and interesting styling of pieces sold during each of your drops. I guess this question has two parts:
Was this always part of the vision for selling curated vintage?
*Selling vintage drops as a collection, rather than individual pieces is a novel concept in many ways, but one Jac has built his business and brand on.
Jac: I’ve always loved old lookbooks, vintage catalogs, and inspiration from the past. That’s something that constantly drives me—placing pieces into a full look and presenting them in context. I did that even with my first project, in a really simple way, and it was one of my favorite parts of creating content.
I’ve always struggled a bit with the idea of selling something I didn’t create. Styling became my way of adding a personal touch to vintage pieces. So to me, it was never a strategic decision or something I felt I had to do for the brand—it just came naturally.
Nathan: Where do you get your inspiration for styling? It doesn't feel like it pulls from any one place.
*Themed releases centered around ideas, rather than specific products has also been part of the approach that makes what TTC does feel more fun than most resellers.
Jac: That’s a good question! I never know exactly how to answer it, because we’re exposed to so many visuals and sources of inspiration every day. Honestly, I’d say it’s a bit of everything; old movies, celebrities from the '70s to '90s, Pinterest, random archive websites... I mainly do it out of curiosity and a love for seeing what’s been done around the world.
My style is kind of a hybrid: preppy meets streetwear, with touches of western and military influence here and there. These are all things I’m genuinely passionate about, even if I don’t always wear every style I admire.
Nathan: The authenticity and curiosity show up so much in the work you're doing man. It's funny how that stuff -- someone's taste, attention to detail, and genuine love for something -- translates through the creative process. It's all "just clothes," but your expression is apparent.
Jac: Thank you brother! This means the world to me!
Let’s talk about your mainline…
*Jac in his winter Mainline drop, The Rollneck Sweater.
Nathan: I have the rollneck sweater in azul, and it's just so good. Beyond the look, cut, and fabric, the construction is just wonderful. Your collection seems intentionally restrained and thus carefully considered so far, but you very clearly have a specific reference point for marrying vintage ideas with more modern silhouettes. It's the kind of vision that makes a vintage nerd like me tune into everything a brand does.
That said, is there a piece in your own collection -- or maybe a long-time grail or archival piece -- that you're itching to take a stab at remaking with your own sensibilities?
Jac: First off, thank you so much for saying that, it truly means the world to me, I appreciate it! It’s been a weird but amazing journey, developing an understanding of clothing through seeing so many well-made, thoughtful pieces over the last nine years.
Before that, my mom made most of my clothes when I was between 0 and 10, and that really taught me the importance of caring for clothing; understanding fabric, quality, and construction. I’ve always believed in having a wardrobe of versatile pieces that you can mix and match, keeping things simple, but in a good way.
*Sneak peaks of the upcoming Mainline denim drop!
When it comes to designing a piece for our mainline, it usually starts with me looking at my own wardrobe and thinking, Damn, that fit would’ve been perfect with a roll neck sweater, for example. I’ll go online to find something, but it’s never exactly how I imagined it, there’s always something off with the cut or the fabric.
So I try to sketch out what I saw in my mind in that moment, as best as I can.
I would never design something I wouldn’t personally wear or something that doesn’t fit into my wardrobe. It might sound a little selfish to create for myself, but I truly believe that’s the only way to offer the best product, because it’s coming from a personal, sentimental place.
*Mainline Denim Souvenirs drop July 17th!
I guess I still haven’t really answered your question… but I’m working on new products for upcoming collections. We’ve been sourcing a lot of vintage western pieces for our archive, and this is shaping up to be our biggest collection yet; leathers, caps, jackets, pants… lots of good stuff! It’s always a challenge to create something new that aligns with our DNA while honoring the vintage references, but that’s what I’m passionate about.
I’m really excited to share more soon!
Nathan: I remember you teasing a red striped western several months ago that I still think about every 3-4 days -- and based on what you said, I'm assuming/hoping it's part of the next big drop -- and now you've shared some images (via your IG Channel) from your upcoming drop of quarter zips and denim that look really wonderful.
I've seen a few creators/brands start "channels" on IG like the one you did, but something about the flow of how you do vintage drops, the unknown behind what mainline product you'll release next, and how interesting your new studio is has made yours the most enjoyable one I've seen yet.
Is that sort of -- pardon the online "content" buzzword here -- "community building" something you see as part of the "next phase" of The Thirteen Club? Our own sort of modern reimagining of the 1890s Thirteen Club, but instead of being against superstition, we just like really good pants.
Jac: Hahaha yes! I think growing the community on a larger scale is what I’ve been lacking the most since the beginning. I really do everything by myself, and I’ve always wanted to get closer to you guys.
But honestly, this isn’t my strength... my first language is French, and even though my English isn’t bad, I still feel a bit of a barrier when I try to express myself sometimes.
I think the [Instagram] channel is a fun way to break the aesthetic a bit and just talk to everyone like friends, to share opinions, etc. I'm working on it, and I genuinely want to build a community and have you all involved in different parts of the brand. That was always the goal—this is why it’s a club! Hopefully, in the coming months and years, this side of things will keep growing.
Last question…
Nathan: Military, workwear, and americana are the foundations of vintage clothing and are remade through all sorts of different lenses, but given your broad mixture of inspirations and influences, is there an era, genre, or subculture of vintage clothing that needs more love?
I think about trends like the recent obsession with golf attire or even people building brands/launches around gardening as examples of people reaching back to niche hobbies or ubiquitous subcultures to reinterpret them today.
Mostly just a curiosity if there's something where you're like, "oh man, I need to see a brand become the Buzz Rickson of 80s New Wave fashion." (Now that I type that out, that 100% needs to happen.)
Jac: Personally, I really enjoy 70s–00s surf gear. It’s not exactly niche, but I love it! There used to be amazing brands with incredible designs. Even the community and their style are super inspiring.
Thank you again to Jac for taking the time to answer my questions. From our few exchanges, it’s just abundantly clear he’s a gifted creative and all around excellent dude!
We did this interview nearly two months ago now, so we didn’t focus heavily on his upcoming Mainline “Denim Souvenirs” drop, launching on July 17th!
You can (and should) check out The Thirteen Club’s website here and follow them on IG here to keep up with weekly vintage drops and Mainline developments. (And don’t forget to join their channel to become part of the Club!)