Wells & Verne

This place is amazing! I love the cutting edge style and the first-​class customer service. If you have the need for a little steam punk /​goth in your life this should be your first stop.

Wells & Verne is a must-​stop shop if you’re looking for gothic, industrial, steampunk, Victorian, loligoth or uncategorized old timey fashion. W&V doesn’t have a massive inventory or square footage, but their quality makes up for quantity– their shop is packed with amazing clothing, jewelry, accessories, collectibles and art. I found an awesome shirt on their sidewalk sales rack and a couple small things inside. (I would’ve also gone home with 3 – 4 new flasks if I could justify owning more!)
An incredibly beautiful store with friendly staff and wonderful wares. Wells & Verne is a blast from the past!

Awesome little shop of treasures! Definitely my favorite place to stop when I’m in Sellwood. I love the selection of clothes and accessories. Recently bought my new favorite dress there. Cute little black scrappy goth dress that is my new little black dress for everything!

This is a store I was really looking forward to visiting during a recent trip to Portland… and it totally exceeded my expectations!
The shop itself is quirky with an interesting building history (I’m not telling, you have to ask them yourself!). I spent some time wandering and looking at all the décor, art and trinkets (heck yeah I bought me some trinkets) before focusing on the truly amazing stuff — the clothes!
I super love that there is a big range in sizes from small to xl (and not the xl meant for a pygmy teenager either). I found some gorgeous skirts and the owner took the time to suggest tops and helped me put together a couple of great ensembles. Best part… I finally found a killer leather corset that I know will last for years! I already have a wishlist going for future shopping — I’m looking at you bustle skirts!

I absolutely love this store! Clothing, art, accessories & jewelry by local artists as well. I can always find ornate & great pieces here. The staff is always helpful & very kind. Definitely worth a visit!

This is one of the best shops in PDX, hands down. The owners are awesome and the products fantastic. Think steampunk, industrial, gothic, bats, unicorns, bowties, corsets, tulle, lace, sparkles, and other hotness. And it’s generally from small businesses/​individuals, mostly local, and available in all sizes! That means that us fatties (of which I am one) can enjoy the provender — and there are things for us of the gentlemanly, butch, and dapper-​leaning sets.
This shop is a must for any fashion forward fabulous person, regardless of gender.

This is a bright, open, intimate, and stylish shop — NOT some back room rack or loft with a creepy dude at the counter selling nipple clamps. The clothes are gorgeous and NOT your Hot Topic Made in China makes. These are made by artisans with sturdy materials — lavish designs with lace, satin, brocade, velvet, as well as sturdy canvas, grommets, zippers, etc. The store also has a case with lovely steampunk jewelry and accessories that would make perfect gifts for that person that already has everything and loves quirky items. It’s also in a easy to get to spot right by the New Seasons in Sellwood. Lastly they carry unusual cards and art reproductions from local artists that the art nouveau collector will want to frame.
PRICING: If you were looking for Hot Topic pricing then go to Hot Topic. These are clothes for the well dressed period, Gothic, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Lolita, and Steampunk folks who want quality, so whether or not they are expensive is relative to the quality. They are «moderate» for the high quality that they are.

Goth and Steampunk enthusiasts will be delighted here. A great selection of clothing and accessories plus some great surprises.

There are specialty goth items that I’ve never seen sold in any goth/​alternative clothing shop in the USA. The lovely lady who owns this shop has even gone as far as London to source for the store and carries things from Heavy Red, Sinister, Louise Black, and Plastik Wrap. This place is on par with Ipso Facto from Los Angeles and is much nicer to shop in. Best boutique store ever, this is where grown-​up goths go to spend their paychecks, but fear not, there is also a sales rack and plenty of affordable items for those with smaller paychecks that still want to look good.
The other amazing thing about this store: they do their best to pick up at least one or 2 plus size of everything they carry. They have sizes from xsmall to 2xl, that is quite a range of sizes to shop from!

This is the goth store to end all goth stores! Chris, the lovely owner, has hand-​picked some really wonderful gems to grace her shelves. You can buy an entire gothic Victorian outfit (with a matching handmade veil) to everyday basics, like skeleton leggings and tank tops for pretty cheap. The jewelry is beautiful and unique, and I’ve been entertaining the idea of buying everyone’s Christmas, birthday, and any other conceivable gift-​giving holiday presents from here, regardless of whether they consider themselves goth or not. Be sure to check out the menswear as well. It’s so refreshing to find a place to shop for my boyfriend and pick something up for myself as well. The shaving kit and ties make a really cool gift for a significant other.
And please, for goodness sake, let Chris help dress you! When I was trying on a skirt, I wasn’t sold. She recommended a shirt, placed a hat on my head, and I fell in love. The girls there are happy to help, and would happily let you try on the jewelry in the glass cases (which I did. A lot.) I can’t wait to go again!

Absolutely wonderful, relatively new, boutique specializing in unique Steampunk and upper class Gothic attire for men and women.
I was so very tempted to break out my zero balance credit cards and max them out here. But, no, on budget and on mission, I left with only my tickets to this year’s Vampire’s Masquerade Ball.
On every single shelf and rack I found at least one item I would have loved to bring home and put in my wardrobe. From Lolita to Victorian, corsets to spats, this place has it all. Original art hung from the walls of what was once a morticians shop. The shop has some beautiful architecture that adds a lot to the ambiance. The very tall ceilings, wooden floors, and nooks and crannies all just fit so perfectly. I can’t imagine a better setting for this little clothing store.
The shopkeep was friendly and honored my Unilocal check-​in offer of a free button. I am now the proud wearer of a Team Buffy pin!
On my next venture to the West I will return, with Holiday Pay in hand, to purchase at least one of the many objects of my desire. In this struggling economy, I am keeping my crossed for Wells & Verne.

A lovely shop that specializes in Gothic, Victorian, and Steampunk. Occasionally carries Lolita skirts and accessories as well. All their labels and designs are from independent brands (so you won’t find any Lip Service or Tripp NYC), but you will find something that suits your fashion subculture. They also have art and jewelry from local artists. The proprietress is wonderful and very helpful. Next time I’m in Sellwood, I’m stopping in again!

Something about the sign hanging outside this shop told me I would not be disappointed in what I found inside, however, after stepping foot inside this steampunk wonderland and hearing Nine Inch Nails in all their glory wafting through their speak system I knew I found a new place I would become a regular at.
I’m putting on a «Freakshow Christmas» party and wandered into this shop hoping to find something to wear as the all-​important Ring Master. Boy did I find what I was looking for and more! This little gem has everything to outfit your inner Tim Burton, Fire Fly cast member or all around SteamPunk Enthusiast.
Note that the items in the shop are on the expensive side, however, it is due to the fact that most of their merchandise is handmade.
If you’re in the market for a Bratty Hat, spats, steampunk jewelry or by chance a corset or a freakshow flask, you should stop on by. Perhaps I’ll see you there (^_​^)

What a fun store! This store is fairly new and specializes in steampunk, Gothy wares and Victoriana. I was drooling over so many articles of clothing and apparently their merchandise changes often. A large percentage of what they carry is also from local artists and designers as well and you can even get concert tickets and such here! I found a stunning Victorian hat pin and some wooden fleur de lis earrings which are both not just unique but what amazing quality for the price. I will be back… and often…