Keep Historic Belmont Army Vintage Alive!

We are Belmont Army Vintage, a clothing store in the heart of Lakeview, Chicago. The current owner, Vivian Kim, emigrated from South Korea to the U.S., bringing skills from the fabric trade to pursue community-minded small business. Since 1975, we've served the people of Chicago in their needs for vintage pieces, army surplus, and curated yet affordable clothing. Many know us from our past 4-story location, when we were partnered with Belmont Army Surplus and Belmont Army Skate; since that historic location sold, we've found a home next to Belmont Station and continued to serve the community.

In the summer of 2022, we suffered a fire that destroyed almost half of our inventory and forced us to close our primary location for a year. During this time, the expenses of paying rent for a temporary storefront in Andersonville, renovating our entire store, and replacing a whole floor's worth of inventory added up quickly. This left us suddenly in a much less stable situation.

This year, on the eve of our 50th Anniversary, our current building's owner has chosen to sell to a private equity firm, soon replacing three local businesses with a block of apartments. With the current economic situation for small businesses in Lakeview and the lasting affects of the fire, our only hope to relocate and continue is this community!