So I've got a wedding to go to this weekend. Which means I've been pondering the outfit. Which means a trip to my favorite second-hand boutique had to happen.The good news: I'm super excited to attend these nupitals two hours from home. I haven't seen my about-to-be-wed cousin Matt in a long time, and come to think of it, I haven't been to a wedding in some time. I'm thrilled to be part of this celebration, and also can't wait to catch up with family I haven't seen in awhile. Good news, part 2: it's always fun to have a reason to dress up.
The not-so-good news: I'm missing the huge annual flea market sale at said favorite second-hand boutique.
Which made me realize now would be a most perfect time to share my love for Zany, a most fantastically awesome consignment boutique. Pretty much my favorite place to shop. Though I can't make the big sale, I hope some of you can. It starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Zany is housed in a quaint two-story Victorian house at 318 Vine St., behind Sleder's restaurant.
I've mentioned Zany before here, or at the very least have talked about the great finds I've stumbled upon at this boutique. I discovered it maybe four years ago now, when I was constantly on the hunt for small businesses to profile for a northern Michigan newspaper. Since then, I've been a regular -- as are most of Zany's customers. It's easy to get hooked to the fun, stylish and funky finds there. Owner Kate Kohler and her staff of friendly, fashion-forward women also keep you coming back for more.
The sluggish economy leads even more of us to second-hand shops, places like Goodwill and other stores that have gently-used clothing, accessories, home decor, even furniture. Seems I come across articles about the popularity of re-sale shopping more and more lately. Indeed, it is an increasingly booming business -- resale is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, according to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops. Goodwill Industries alone generated $1.9 billion in retail sales from their 2,246 Not For Profit thrift stores across America in 2007.Zany stands out among other second-hand shops for a few reasons:
* Quality is important. You're not going to find items that are less than truly "gently-used." Name brands also are big. Kate and her staff are picky, which is a very good thing.
* Shopping is easy. With clothing organized by size and color, you can find what you're looking for (or didn't even know you were looking for) quickly. I also love how Kate and her staff take the time to create eye-grabbing displays -- pairing jewelry, scarves and handbags with clothing in daring and interesting ways.
* It's an experience. Friends and I have begun creating girls' nights around trips to Zany. We'll meet there around 4:30 p.m., shop until closing at 6 p.m. and head to a nearby restaurant for dinner and drinks. It's just too fun having someone there to show off your finds and get their opinion about that skirt or pair of jeans that caught your eye.
Among my most treasured finds: a pair of 7 for all Mankind jeans, an Italian-made pink wool coat that fits me to a T, a BCBG wrap dress, a chocolate-and-cream-colored halter dress I'll wear to this weekend's wedding.
Check out the sale this Saturday if you can -- and be sure to let me know what you find. I asked Kate what you can expect to find and here's what she had to say:
"The flea Market is a huge sale of all-season items, all kinds of items -- shoes, handbags, clothes, home decor, under a big tent outside. It's the biggest sale of the year that we do, super fun and fabulous deals. The sale ends at 6 o'clock or until the last person leaves!"
Still want to know more? Call Zany Boutique at (231) 933-4199.
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