Meet Lisa Rae, a vintage seller in Stafford Springs, CT.
My journey as a vintage clothes business owner has been full of ups and downs, but it’s all about the journey not the destination and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
I’ve always been attracted to vintage clothing and been wearing it since I was a teenager— which is over 45 years! Collecting seriously came later when a friend of my moms gave me all of her 1970s party clothes back in the late '90s. I raised two daughters along the way, and it wasn’t until 2012 (when my youngest daughter was old enough) that I finally decided to bring all my passions together and opened a vintage clothing store that doubled as an art gallery where I’d hold monthly community openings. I’ve since moved from my original location down by the river in town and am slowly collecting art to hang on the walls as an ode to my first storefront.
To me vintage clothing are works of art so mixing the two was an obvious choice for me. The clothing is also an artistic expression of self, and I love seeing the way it can help people create self style, and self confidence. I’ll never forget when a woman tried on a dress and cried because she had forgotten what it was like to dress for herself and not for others.
I opened the store with the idea of finding vintage clothing for everyone, so I’m not size or time period specific. So for the most part, I have clothing from the 1940s through the late '90s. I want everyone to find something.
The hardest thing about being a shop owner is getting people to find me. I will admit in years past I’ve struggled adapting to the switch to social media for advertising, but am slowly finding my way. Not to say I’m not doing ok, but I’d definitely like to be busier than I am currently.
I joined Thrilling for a number of reasons but I was mostly swayed by the personal and hands on approach. I had received an email and initially shrugged it off, but when then a real person showed up one day in my shop to represent the website I was very impressed. I liked that the clothing has to be authentic, especially considering I’ve seen so many examples of mislabeled clothing. Thrilling also represents brick and mortar and women-owned shops which is something I personally advocate for.
As for what’s specific to my store….there’s a lot to choose from. The variety of my clothes —men and women — means there’s always something for everyone if they look hard enough and give vintage a chance. I love to help women get out of their comfort zone and see their beauty that they can’t always. The pieces I collect are always sold clean and in near perfect condition, and it’s important to me that my collection is affordable and stands out because of its quality.