Scented candles flicker warmly in a cluster near the register. Racks display flowing skirts, tailored pantsuits, classic dresses, and elegant wool coats with some of the most recognizable labels in fashion: Liz Claiborne, Anne Klein, Jones New York, and Nordstrom.


But this isnt the sales floor of a specialty retailer in a trendy mall. Its the interior of one of Spokanes oldest consignment clothing stores, The Reclothery, at 613 S. Washington.


Owner Bonnie Crum says that when she opened The Reclothery in 1979, Spokane had just two such shops. About two dozen stores now sell used clothing around town. Some take in items on consignment, while others, especially those that offer childrens wear or retro fashions, pay cash or give store credit upfront for their inventories of used clothes.


Most of the shops are small, usually have less than 2,000 square feet of space, and employ only a few people. Many are women-owned businesses.


Over the years, peoples attitudes about used clothing have changed, and the change has given the used-clothing industry a huge boost, Crum says.


People were leery of being seen in a consignment shop and worried that their friends might think they were poor, she says. Now, almost everyone takes pride in getting the best quality for the cheapest price.


Resale clothing shops here typically sell items for a half to a third of what the items sold for when new, and most focus on name brands and designer labels. Eight consignment stores here feature primarily womens apparel; about that many specialize in childrens clothes and accessories; and a handful of others deal in jeans, especially Levis, along with T-shirts, tie-dyed items, and retro clothing from the 1970s. Several vintage clothing shops focus on even older clothing, from the 1960s or earlier.


Even shops that offer similar types of clothing each find their own subspecialty. For example, among the shops that sell quality womens wear, only a few offer plus sizes, several add mens and childrens clothes to the mix, and one, The Elegant Peasant, specializes in wedding and formal wear that many shops dont offer because the bouffant dresses take up too much space.


Each shop needs its own niche; otherwise they dont last long, says Wendy Burton, The Elegant Peasants owner, who has seen several consignment shops come and go in the 12 years she has operated her shop in the Garland district.


You have to know whom youre marketing to, says The Reclotherys Crum, who focuses on serving professional women.


Finding a niche


Cindy Roderick opened Cinderellas Glass Slipper, another South Hill shop that caters to professional women, two years ago. Roderick, who has a degree in apparel merchandising and textiles from Washington State University, takes in clothes from women who shop at upscale stores outside Spokane and sells the items at prices that suit discount shoppers here. Already Cinderellas has nearly outgrown its 1,200-square-foot shop at 922 S. Monroe, and Roderick is considering moving to a larger location.


Reaching an entirely different segment of the Spokane market, Drop Yer Drawers buys and sells jeans as well as 70s fashions at its two stores, one at 1307 N. Hamilton, near Gonzaga University, and the other at 6315 E. Sprague. Denise Bender, an employee at the Hamilton outlet, says customers there range from college students seeking costumes for theme parties to construction workers looking for sturdy and affordable Levis.


At Wee Ones Wear, an 8-year-old shop at 5526 N. Ash that sells childrens clothes, furniture, and accessories such as strollers, car seats, and toys, owner Sheri Tarr knows her market well. A mother of eight, she opened Wee Ones Wear after the birth of her fourth child, because she knew firsthand how expensive that outfitting youngsters could be.


I had the best dressed kids, and everyone would ask how I could afford it, Tarr says.


She says some people initially were shy about buying used childrens clothing at her store and other resale shops because they wanted only the best for their children, but soon found they could get Gymboree, Gap Kids, Levis, and other popular brands for less than half the cost of new clothes. A used Gymboree outfit that costs nearly $50 new can be had for about $15 at Wee Ones Wear, she says.


Everybody feels better when they get a good deal, Tarr says.


Save money and the planet


Used-clothing retailers here say that the bargain hunters who shop resale stores that focus on name-brand clothing arent low-income shoppers, but rather are solidly middle-class customers who just want the most for their money. Crum says customers at The Reclothery can and do shop at upscale department stores, but they check here first.


The growing appeal of recycling also is a draw for many customers, consignors, and shop owners. Noreen Landers, owner of A New Attitude, a consignment shop that sells womens and childrens clothes at 9423 N. Newport Highway, says she likes the idea of recycling clothes. When she opened the store five years ago, she also saw consignment as a good way to start a business without making a big investment in inventory.


Most consignment shops here take consignments by appointment and accept only items that are in like-new condition and are clean, pressed, and currently in style. Wee Ones Wear washes and irons each item it takes in an effort to make taking clothes there as easy as donating them to charity, Tarr says. One of her four employees dedicates her efforts entirely to laundering items.


Special challenges


Just as with retailers of new clothing, its difficult for used-clothing shops to keep up with changing fashion trends, Crum says. The suits with tailored skirts and jackets that had been a mainstay of her shop now are giving way to more casual wear such as flowing dresses and feminine pantsuits.


Its always a challenge to know what to accept, she says. Theres no money sunk in inventory, but I cant afford to have unpopular items taking up space.


The Reclothery recently inventoried the items on its 1,900-square-foot sales floorand had more than 3,000 pieces of clothing in stock.


A challenge thats unique to resale shops is dealing with the people who bring in clothes to put on consignment, Crum says. Some can have strong feelings about their clothes, and feel hurt or even angry if their clothing is rejected. Others demand that the price for their consigned items be set exorbitantly high or want to consign clothes that no longer are fashionable. Crum says she encourages the donation of clothes that arent suitable for her shop to charities or theaters that can make good use of the items. Some of the reclothing shops refer people to other shops that might have a need for different sizes or styles of clothing.


Consigned items typically are displayed for 60 to 90 days, depending on a shops policy. Consignors usually are paid 50 percent of the selling price of each item, and most shops pay consignors at the end of the consignment period. At the end of the period, consignors can pick up their unsold clothing or the items become the property of the shop, which donates them to charity.


Several consignment-shop owners say their customers appreciate shops that offer only carefully selected items so they dont have to sort through unfashionable, dingy, or worn clothes like they might at a thrift store or garage sale. Owners whose shops are neat and modern also proudly note that new customers sometimes ask whether the shops sell used or new goods.


Landers says customers also like the personal attention they receive at consignment shops. She says at A New Attitude she keeps a list of items her regular customers are looking for and notifies customers who favor items from a particular consignor when that person brings in a new batch of items.


Owners of the shops that sell primarily womens clothing work together in an informal network. Landers says they advertise together and produce a brochure thats given out to customers at each participating shop to encourage shoppers to visit the other consignment stores. The group also meets to share ideas and information.


Crum, who participates in the informal local group, is also a member of the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, which strives to develop professional standards for the resale industry, to provide ideas and support to business owners, and to promote resale shopping.