Clothes, computers and people get a second chance in Warwick
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Barbara Mortensen managed an office before she lost her job in the recession.
Now she’s betting the same bad economy will help her in her new endeavor: selling secondhand clothes.
Eight months ago, she and her sister opened Trendy Consignment Boutique, a bright pink building near a motorcycle shop and a swimming pool store on busy Warwick Avenue.
“The business is holding its own,” says Mortensen, who recently sold 30 prom dresses to cash-strapped students unable to afford $300 dresses at the nearby mall. “Our prom dresses are priced from $30 to $60 to $70 tops –– and they’ve only been worn once.”
Mortensen is not alone.
In the wake of a weak economy, resale stores in Warwick are growing. In the last year, about 12 percent of the requests for a new license, name change or change of ownership from the city were from pawn shops, stores selling rebuilt computers or second-hand dealers.
The list includes a big-box retailer, but most are small stores offering both used goods and new items — purchased but never used — still sporting original price tags. Among them: a Marilyn Monroe handbag, a rack of frilly wedding dresses, a guitar amp still in the box and an “X-Files” Barbie and Ken doll set.
Most operate far from the city’s Route 2 retail artery, dominated by big chain stores and restaurants. Instead, they do business from smaller stores north, east and south of the airport, along Warwick Avenue and West Shore and Post roads — busy routes featuring nail salons, liquor stores and aging strip malls.
Like Mortensen, Kristina Edwards opened a store after she lost her job as an office manager two years ago.
Unable to find work, she invested less than $15,000 to open As Good As New Consignments on Post Road last year. She started with nine clothes racks. Today, her neat and spacious store boasts 30 racks and more than 6,200 items.
Much of her clothing comes from people who turn in merchandise with the price tags still on them. Edwards splits the sale with the consignor. “A lot of this stuff was purchased when the economy was good, but it is stuff people didn’t need or use,” she says.
“The whole stigma of buying resale has gone out of the window because of the economy.
2009 Prom Dresses - News
“The business is holding its own,” says Mortensen, who recently sold 30 prom dresses to cash-strapped students unable to afford $300 dresses at the nearby mall. “Our prom dresses are priced from $30 to $60 to $70 tops –– and they've only been worn once
Inspired to promote self-esteem and confidence, she has been promoting her platform “Believable Beauty” with events that gathered purses for women in need of Marshall County; gathered new and slightly used prom dresses for girls to find beautiful,
His daughter Chandler, 17, recently settled for a prom dress that cost $170 instead of asking her parents to spend $400 for another that caught her eye. "In prior years we would have spent more money on the dress, but money has become a big object," he
In Pretty in Pink, Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is too poor to afford a nice prom dress. In The Breakfast Club, John Bender (Judd Nelson) is the rebellious product of a broken home. Ferris Bueller, on the other hand, dates Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara),
This Karen Walker prom dress Zooey sported in November 2009 for the 2009 Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards presented by Movieline.com got an extra burst of color thanks to a red striped skinny belt.
3 Must-Have Items To Go With Summer Prom Dresses
Nothing is more versatile than a beautiful prom dress to light up a girl's glamor. So following my last post about Diverse Fabulous Prom Dresses And How To Wear Them, this time we would like to discuss what to dress up to go with your summer prom dress.
Colorful Prom Shoes For Various Style Dresses
Cinderella proved that one shoe can change a life totally. Therefore, it is necessary to pick out a pair of right prom shoes carefully. They are not only the perfect way to punch up your look for formal events, but also, they are a closet staple that can be worn many ways. There are a huge range of fashion colorful high heels this summer. Just pick a color that complements your evening dresses for the event. If you find it hard to find a exact right color, choose black which will be never wrong. Meanwhile, you can have the high heels fit for the others in your wardrobe so that you can brighten up your everyday outfits as well.
Appropriate Undergarment Helps
We all know that wearing a perfect lingerie may shape the body well and make figure stand out. When it comes to dressing up, what you wear under your clothes is extremely important. For example, body shaper might be a option for girls donning plus size dresses. It helps to keep everything looking smooth and in place. Not only it provides thigh coverage, but also hooks on to your bra, so you do not have to worry about unnecessary straps. While slips are great if you do not prefer body shaper. You may definitely choose a mid-thigh one that works both long and short dresses. There should be different underwear for different people in the market. Supposed you are a lazy girl, no problem. A multi-function lingerie is your best helper which can provide coverage but work well with every neckline. And it also comes in convenient for your daily outfits.
Accessories Add You More Charm
If simply donning a pair of earrings can light up your entire look, why not do it? Accessories sometimes take a surprising effect which might complement your prom dress in a contrasting manner. Checking the celebs' looks on each event, we can always see glamorous clutches and jewelries.
Which one of the above do you think is your must-have item? Is there any plan for your summer party? What are you going to wear? Browse shopsimple.com which you will find a specific inspiration of dressing style, plus, to compare price directly for your favorite items to save money.
2009 Prom Dresses - Bookshelf
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