Utica New York's Collage Consignment: Wise, Hip Shopping

I have many reasons why I shop at Collage Consignment. I am a Utican and support local businesses because of the economy. There is enough sadness or madness shopping at the mega complexes in New Hartford. I have seen downtown virtually shut down, in spite of it being a hub of a major bus transfer.

Also, there is little use for a vehicle while living in South Utica. If you are less than blocks away from Genesee Street you can go to work, doctor's offices, and meet most consumer needs. I support local business owners, because they are members of my community, and are held accountable in my community.

Another bonus that I liked is that I was supporting a woman business owner. I like to see a fairly balanced micro-economy when it comes to gender. Women who own their businesses are a direct contribution to doing their own part in making this ideal a reality. Valerie is a role model in a community where she evaluated the trend of the consumer's needs for cheaper yet quality clothing because the Utica economy is declining and thus allowing consumer's options to be more flexible so it would fit their budgets and support their tastes.

The ideal situation in consignment is that it's right for college students who have a small budget because of education and still have the desire to meet trends. Also it's ideal for women who want to stretch their budget and look fabulous, but must also consider that they may have to worry about having enough for all their dependents in their household.

Female adolescents also can shop for formal wear because typically they wear these dresses typically only once. When I was growing into a 5'10 woman, I had to shop constantly shop for clothes that fit me while I was growing from a size 1 to size 10. Since I switched to a healthier lifestyle for diet and exercise, I had to switch my wardrobe to a different size to flatter my new figure. Collage consignment was a win-win situation for me recently.

Another option is that consigned clothing can be a source of recycled material for sewing. There are trendy DIY information out there on the web, books, and magazines that gives us another way to express ourself. I sometimes love the material of the clothing, but I would like to have it used as an article of clothing or a home accent instead. A silky bathrobe was redesigned so I can lay it over a lamp shade to dim the room and have a purple hue. I advise that someone would consider assessing the fire hazards of this, because some wattages and closeness of the fabric might be too hot. My favorite website is threadbangers.com which gives me an abundance of ideas.

Valerie, owner of Collage Consignment, agrees that upon entering a department store while shopping for clothes, a consumer might be overwhelmed by the inventory. Also, in my opinion, not all salespeople help you shop for clothes that fit your body or your tastes. Often, since the clothes are duplicated, there aren't any trends that will set you apart and express yourself. On top of all of this, it saves me a lot of money and have a boutique feeling when I shop in this store. Quality clothing are marked way over what they pay the workers who constructed the clothing. Consequently, shopping here makes me proud of every piece that I invest in my wardrobe.

The owner is also very friendly and insightful on clothes. I am not an expert in this area. She also is a good person to network with, for instance, when I was looking for an apartment, she took my name down to help me get some referrals. Since I am tall, she also took my number when there are actually pants that fit me come through the store's door.

The shop is also close to some of my favorite places to go in Utica, the ARC thrift shop, Price Chopper, Domenico's, Utica Pipe and Tobacco, and Uptown theater. The area isn't lacking in major pharmacies, since five are on the same block.