After nearly nine months of mandated hibernation, the world is opening up — albeit tentatively — but opening up nonetheless. We are finally able to see each other beyond the pixelated screens to which we’ve gotten so accustomed.
As we embrace virtual-less reality re-entering our daily lives from a safe six feet, we’ve been gifted an opportunity to make a debut of sorts. For some, disguising that coronavirus “Quarantine 15” may be a top priority while a career shift for others may have impacted wardrobe needs.
Or maybe you simply need a hat to hide that self-inflicted haircut and dye job.
The sad truth is that many of us are unable to afford these extras at the moment, but don’t let a tighter budget stop you from hitting the shops. Now is the ideal time to swap in some style!
With all that extra time at home, we’ve thoroughly Kondo’d our closets — and every other room in the house. Our former favorites, from gently used clothes to shoes to books, jewelry and more, have been dropped off at places around town and are eagerly awaiting rehoming.
“Clearly the pandemic has affected sales,” said Kendra Younger, who runs the 23-year-old Santa Barbara staple, Renaissance Fine Consignment, at 1118 State St.
Nonetheless, she remains optimistic when it comes to the boutique retail shop, saying, “We have weathered many storms.”
The store specializes in reselling high-end, designer labels on consignment.
“Many of our clients are locals looking for special pieces for an event, and we also rely heavily on tourism,” Younger said. “Since the pandemic, events have been canceled and tourism is generally coming from Los Angeles and Malibu instead of international these days, so that has definitely changed us.”
But these coronavirus-induced changes weren’t all bad.
“With Saks and Nordstrom going out of business in Santa Barbara, I truly believe we are one of the only places in town where you can buy quality items at affordable prices,” Younger said.
Renaissance Fine Consignment also saw an uptick in merchandise following the initial reopening after Gov. Gavin Newsom eased his stay-at-home order in late spring.
“We seemed to have a lot of consignment coming in at the time, I expect because most women were sitting at home, cleaning out their closets,” Younger noted.
When asked if she has noticed any effects from financial strains many folks are feeling, she provided this insight: “I’m not certain if people purchasing secondhand are interested due to financial situations. That doesn’t seem to be the case to me as much as hearing people need to get out of their houses.
“I think most humans need to get out and enjoy something. If they find a nice purse or top that speaks to them during all this worldly chaos, I think they’re going for it right now!”
If you’ve lost your job or had an income shift, or simply have a few items that are too valuable for a standard Goodwill drop-off, reselling is easy to do. (It also helps make a dent in that online shopping debt you accumulated back in March.)
So go burn those sweat pants and do some shopping and some consigning, and help out local businesses along the way!
There are several places in Santa Barbara for reselling:
Apparel
Renaissance Fine Consignment
1118 State St., Santa Barbara
High-end and designer consignment: apparel, handbags, accessories
renaissancesb.com
Instagram: @renaissancefineconsignment
Sepi’s Consignment
1273 Coast Village Road, Montecito
High-end and designer consignment: apparel, handbags, accessories
facebook.com/sepiconsign
Instagram: @sepiconsign
Crossroads Trading
1025 State St., Santa Barbara
New and used clothing, shoes and accessories
30 percent cash or 50 percent trade and consignment
Drop-off during business hours, no appointment needed
crossroadstrading.com
Instagram: @crossroadstrading
Jessica Consignment
2008 De la Vina St., Santa Barbara
New and used clothing, shoes and accessories
jessicaconsignment.com
Instagram: @jessicaconsign
Household & More
The Book Den
15 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara
Established in 1902, the shop offers recently published hardcover and paperback books, used and out-of-print books
bookden.com
Trésor Montecito
1470 East Valley Road, Montecito
Fine collectibles, estate and designer jewelry
tresormontecito.com
Peregrine Galleries
1133 Coast Village Road, Montecito
Fine estate jewelry and plein air paintings
peregrine.shop
Instagram: @peregrinegalleries
Ron Gillio – Bella Rosa Galleries
1103 State St., Santa Barbara
Jewelry and metals (gold, silver and rare coins)
bellarosasb.com
Instagram: @bellarosa_jewelry_sb
— Noozhawk contributing writer Mara Pyzel can be reached at news@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.