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Maynard business owner sells vintage clothing for women online - Wicked Local Maynard

beststylemake Ağustos 24, 2021

Maynard business owner sells vintage clothing for women online - Wicked Local Maynard

Maynard business owner sells vintage clothing for women online - Wicked Local Maynard

Posted: 01 Nov 2019 12:47 PM PDT

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Searching for the just the right piece of clothing can take time and patience.

Sometimes, that perfect piece is in the most unlikely place.

So when Shannon Letizi spotted a 1960s Valentino silk housedress, hanging on the Halloween rack of a thrift store, she knew she had found something special.

"It was very flamboyant," she said.

For those who don't know, Valentino is a high-end Italian designer.

Letizi, a Maynard resident, put the dress up for sale on her online vintage clothing store We, McGee.

The dress was purchased by the fabric maker in Milan who wanted it for their archives, Letizi said.

"So that was really exciting for me not only for the find – because it was a really special thing to find – but also just because it ended up going to such a great customer," Letizi said.

Starting out

Letizi's love of vintage clothing began as a teenager. Her mother had some vintage clothing and for Letizi it was a way to express herself and be a little different.

"I realized there was a lot of fun to be had from vintage," she said, recalling she would wear a Boy Scout shirt with all the patches to school or a Victorian blouse "that had really big sleeves. I liked the unique part of it."

That still resonates with her today, but she also believes there are quality issues -- vintage items are often higher quality than everyday fashion --  and social and environmental aspects to wearing vintage clothing.

"The fashion industry has a negative environmental impact and sometimes a negative social impact. Vintage helps you avoid that to a certain extent and that's important to me," Letizi said.

She began selling vintage clothing after college as a way to clean out her closet.

We, McGee was named after her grandmother, whose last name was McGee, and "the connection that vintage clothing creates between generations and between people."

Five years ago she decided to give it a go full time. When her daughter, now 2, was born she put the business on the back burner. She recently began devoting more attention to We, McGee and her inventory has grown so much that in August she leased a studio space in Maynard to keep her stock.

"I hope the new space will bring new opportunities for continued growth," she said.

The online store features women's items, mostly clothing, with some accessories, bags, shoes, scarves and jewelry.

"I love it all," she said. "In a perfect world if I had the time I would sell a little bit of everything." 

Getting up and running

Much of Letizi's time is spent combing through thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls and estate sales. She finds occasional pieces at online auctions and road trips to Maine to visit family can also turn up treasures.

"I'm always looking," she said.

After she buys a piece of clothing she washes it, mends it if necessary and generally makes sure it is in wearable condition.

"A customer that buys something from me knows she is buying something that is going to hold up and smell OK and not be covered in animal fur," Letizi said.

 Increasing clientele

Growing a customer base has been one of her biggest challenges. Her business is profitable but she is not yet earning enough to make a living.

"That is a goal," she said." I don't see it as a hobby or as a side gig or a way for me to have a little extra cash."

Early on she knew she had to increase her social media presence.

"I really was not social media savvy as far as marketing was concerned," she said.

She has found that Instagram, a photo and video-sharing social networking service, was the best way to reach customers.

"The more visibility you have on social media the more people go to your shop to shop for things. About 30 percent of my business is driven through Instragram," Letizi said. "The rest comes from Etsy."

There's a big audience for vintage clothing, she said. There are people who like to wear vintage pieces and the movie and film industry that will purchase vintage items for productions.

"A lot of women who like dressing a little more retro style," or customers who "are mixing vintage into their regular wardrobe," she said.

She would like to see more women wearing vintage clothing.

"I think everyone in a perfect world even if not every piece of your wardrobe is vintage -- even if 20 percent of it was vintage you'd be keeping that much more clothing out of landfills," Letizi said.

DECADES VINTAGE CLOTHING - Ad from 2019-11-01 | Clothes & Accessories - Rapid City Journal

Posted: 31 Oct 2019 11:01 PM PDT

  • 29°

Sebastopol's Antique Society a fun yet massive window into times past - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Posted: 02 Nov 2019 01:03 AM PDT

Housed in an art deco building constructed in the 1930s, the Antique Society draws visitors "for a million different reasons," she said. There are those searching to expand their collections; browsers who just might find a kitschy or whimsical little something singing out to them; couples searching for the perfect piece of furniture (farmhouse and midcentury styles are especially popular); and teens and young adults having fun looking at merchandise crafted long before they were born.

About 15% of sales is for resale, with interior designers, other dealers, professional buyers for hotel or store displays, photo stylists and photographers among those on the hunt. "It goes upstream," Angela Vidinsky said.

Set designers and property masters have purchased Antique Society items that ended up in such films as "Radio Flyer," "Phenomenon" and "Scream."

For some, there's a sense of nostalgia, whether they're discovering 1980s Nintendo trading cards (two for $1.50, with Mario and Zelda as options); gold and teal 1950s barware featuring paddlewheel boats ($6 each or two for $10); or a circa 1945 decorative McCoy flower blossom wall pocket in mint condition ($35).

Don't overlook the pair of old Canadian snowshoes ($65); the 1930s Mickey Mouse lamp that's been reduced from $525 to $400; the Harolds Club 25-cent slot machine, in as-is condition ($495); the old-time wooden file cabinet priced at $385; or the vintage "The Three Bears" Little Golden Book that's appreciated to $10 from its original price of 29 cents.

"Anything that's one-off or a unique piece, that's what gets noticed and that's what sells," Bryan Vidinsky said.

From an ever-changing inventory of cultural relics, artwork or vintage clothing, to architectural salvage and antique jewelry, there's something to appeal to just about every taste and budget. Also, "People really love ephemera, old postcards, snapshots, old maps," Angela Vidinsky said. "We really are able to offer something for everyone, and we do."

And just where is all the merchandise sourced? "It's a secret not to be told," she said with a laugh. Dealers visit estate sales, auction houses, flea markets, private collectors, thrift stores and yard sales. "You just never know what you're going to find. For me, that's the biggest part of the appeal."

Bryan Vidinsky said many of the Antique Society's longtime dealers rely on the relationships they've built up over their years in the business. "They're just very well- connected. That's a big thing, knowing people and being in the business."

Most dealers are from Sonoma County, although some come from as far away as Southern California.

Rick Petteford of Sebastopol has sold goods at the Antique Society for more than 20 years. He has two spaces, offering midcentury furnishings and "traditional antiques" including early California artwork and pottery and small handcrafted items, like a finely woven "very desirable" $485 Hupa ceremonial hat worn by tribal members in Del Norte County.

A former potter, Petteford, 69, makes a full-time living as an antiques dealer. He considers himself "a bit of a dinosaur" because he's held out on using the Internet for sales. His personal connections have helped him score many unique finds. Among them: a wooden washing machine, circa 1900, that was rescued from a barn in Petaluma. "I thought it was a great relic," he said. The asking price is $245.

"Seeing an object in person and getting a feel for it is quite important," Petteford said. "That's for dealers as much as for customers."

Plus, the interactions between sellers and buyers enhance the shopping experience. "I get to meet my customers and get to know what they like. I see that smile on their face when they find something they've been looking for," he said.

Bryan Vidinsky said that's why shopping in person is such a rewarding experience. "Community is a huge thing here."
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