Made In Vienna: Wardrobe Rescue

Jennifer Casolaro loves to shop.

So when the nurse practitioner, who was born and raised in Vienna, decided she wanted to own her own business and work for herself, pursuing a consignment store was an easy choice.

“Consignment stores are typically big in this area because of the income and level of how people shop," Casolaro said. "Not everyone has a Niemen’s down the street.”

On Monday, Casolaro opened Wardrobe Rescue, a woman’s consignment boutique, at 509 Maple Avenue West. It specializes primarily in upscale merchandise, focusing on clothes, shoes and accessories from specialty and department stores, Casolaro said.

Finding a location for her business was the least difficult part of the process, shes said: When she came upon the former My Eye Doctor space on Maple Ave., she knew it was the perfect home.

“The space is so cute. I love the Village Green. I think it’s quaint and has a lot of character, as does the space,” she said of the space with a large window, covered by a large awning and arches. “We did a few renovations but instead of it being a shell with four walls, it has character when you come into it."

Wardrobe Rescue accepts women’s clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories with 90-day contracts. The items are generally priced at 1/3 of the original retail price and once sold, the money is split between the store and original owner of the piece.

“People buy clothing and maybe they don’t wear it very much or decide they don’t like it, they may use a handbag for a month or two, and wonder what they can do with it, so they bring it to me,” Casolaro said. “After the first 30 days, I discount them by 25 percent and after 60 days by 50 percent, and after 90 days the contract is up and we either donate the clothes to a local charity or the woman can come pick up her clothes.”

The store looks for customers to bring in mostly items with name brands and labels that three years old or newer.

“For the younger ones, J Crew and Banana Republic sell really well,” she said. “For the older crowd, Neiman’s, Nicole Miller and Louis Vuitton are popular.”

Customers who come in may not always find their perfect item of clothes, Casolaro said. But one option the store offers is a wish list, which keeps track of certain items customers are looking for. If an item comes in that's on it, Casolaro can give them a call. She said she also plans to be very active on Facebook, posting new photos of the top pieces that come in.

As a nurse practitioner, Casolaro is used to meeting with people all day long, but she is ecstatic that she now gets to use that time to talk with people about clothes and finding pieces that make them happy.

“I love the interaction. I love fashion and I love shopping. This combines my three passions into one," she said. "Seeing all the new clothes and the constant turnover is changing my career into what I like to do."

And, she added, "My husband said I’m happy because I get to shop 24 hours a day now.”