Jena Kingsley: Blueprints Vintage

Photo: Neighbors of the Wasatch Back // Jill Baker.

If the year were 1929, the headline printed above Jena Kingsley’s story would be bold, oversized, and delivered with that “This just in!” enthusiasm announcing her courage as “The Greatest in Human History.” An 8-year-old in a tweed newsie cap with bags under his eyes would be hawking copies at 10 cents a piece, and issues would fly from the streets while shocked (but silently salivating) readers gobbled up “The Guts and Gallant of One Gal’s Gambol”––the era-appropriate roaring response to Jena’s Big Apple pranks. 

Instead—and because the year was in fact 2013—Jena went viral, becoming known for her New York City social experiments (in which she vehemently “commits” to the awkward silences) with YouTube videos titled “No Selfie Zone” (“Excuse me, but you’re going to need to delete that”); her “Social Networking in Real Life” (“Just wanted to let you know I’m following you”); and her “Are You on the List?” Starbucks prank, which filmed her with a clipboard “bouncing” outside several of the coffeehouse’s locations (“I’m sorry, ma’am, but do you have a reservation?”).

So, when Jena quietly settled down 12 years later in Park City with Silicon Valley CEO Steven Boal, she—author, comedian, social commentator, and empty nester—was ready to make her mark on Main Street. Which is when her story becomes suitably cosmopolitan, with just a hint of comedic couture. 

As a wild-west-coaster, I never believe it when I hear it, but it turns out you can, in fact, be born and raised in New York City. I am also under the firm impression that if you are one of these rare urban unicorns (donning an AllSaints leather-wrapped horn), your parents checked out of Mount Sinai with both a pair of baby stilettos and the Ten Commandments of the Garment District––”Thou shalt not wear crocs,” “Thou shalt shop vintage,” and so on. 

But Jena’s latest social experiment is, truly, no joke. Blueprints Vintage, her globally inspired and hand-curated boutique––which opened in the spring earlier this year–– has already outgrown its first location and is headed for the ground floor this fall. “I think people are so surprised when they walk upstairs to find our current storefront,” says Jena, “because they don’t know what to expect. And then they get to the top, and there’s this very interesting, warm, inviting shop with some amazing pieces. But I’m also very aware that this is Main Street in Park City––we have international customers––and I want to bring the best that I can. Elevating the shopping experience has been a goal of mine.”

I often think of “vintage” as a broad term on an idea that culturally, we are constantly “chasing cool.” However, this particular secondhand species has very specific strains. For example, no one is in search of the perfect loin cloth worn by Cro-Magnons for the Flintstones 12AD (12 Apostles Drive) tour. Also, few women today, outside of gold-rush reenactments, are proclaiming to have “found” their latest petticoat or hoop skirt. But yes, we will hot-wash that ’92 Hall of Fame jacket we found at an estate sale for an insulting $25, only to pair it (ironically) with $200 designer jeans and vegan Doc Martens like a walking commentary on capitalism––or, you know, because we look “cool.”

“Vintage is so popular now because people are finding that sustainability is important, and vintage clothes are made so much better,” says Jena, “but there are different types of vintage in different pockets of the world. Out west, you can find amazing western wear; when you go to Paris, you find a more refined style and designer pieces like Celine, Givenchy, or Chanel; and then you go to Morocco, and you find handmade craftsmanship. Wherever I am, I like to go source vintage because it’s all affected by the culture and country it’s coming from.”

Shopping vintage is an art form. It sounds simple enough, but the good ones have a style that transcends “trendy.” A knit skirt here, an ’80s jacket there, a well-worn graphic tee, a turquoise bolo tie, a pair of New Balance kicks…and voilà, I’m fashion-forward! (As compared to the back foot I’m usually balancing on.) 

“I think people get intimidated about buying vintage,” shares Jena. “They think it has to be, you know, an archival designer piece to get their money’s worth…but I always tell people, just get what speaks to you. Some of my favorite pieces are definitely not designer; they’re just weird things I found that make people look twice.”

To be clear, Blueprints Vintage is not your mama’s thrift store. It’s a high-end collectors closet with an international touch. A living passport culled from consistent sourcing and a well-tuned eye for quality and rarity. In less than five months, Jena has already backfilled most of her collection, traveling internationally and sourcing privately to bring one-of-a-kind pieces to Park City’s patrons. “I would say most of the things I’ve sourced for my store now, I’ve been sourcing since I opened, because much of what I had was gone very quickly,” she says with a proud laugh. “Whenever I travel, I lay out where I want to visit and plan for that. I also go to estate sales, and I have personal appointments with people who want to unwind their collections. It could be someone directly with pieces they’d like to consign, or maybe a parent passed away, and the family has pieces they’re not sure what to do with.” 

In her own way, Jena is throwing open the doors to a world of hidden treasures, while offering her bounty a second chance at life. But to do that, it takes a very unique, creative, and socially driven perspective––did I mention she also wrote a book about dating after divorce? Darcy Dates hit shelves the summer before her 2025 marriage to Steven and is based on her 2011 blog of the same name. “Hollywood came calling; we were developing it as a show, which never got made. Years passed, and I was doing stand‑up and other projects. Then finally, last year, I thought, ‘Wait, I don’t want to die one day and have my project die with me.’ I was getting married, and I thought, ‘Now is the time,’ so I published it before we got married. It was the end of an era.” 

If I said Jena has lived nine lives, you’d never believe me––she’s definitely lived 10 or 12, and the latest is just beginning. For some reason (perhaps history, guts, grit), I feel it will be a success, and, if nothing else, it’s yet another demonstration of Jena’s innate courage to go for it, to spot a gap in the zeitgeist and fill it with the raw observation of someone who says, “I know what we need, what needs to be said, and just how to say it.”

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Jena Kingsley is back on the street—this time, with her own store and absolutely no reservations needed. Yes, you can take a selfie in that fur coat, and of course, feel free to follow, comment, and connect. Because we get it: Humans are innately curious creatures. Why not dress the part?