September 2010
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Center for Spirituality improves health and well being
Ziggy’s and Page 2
Upcoming events in Downtown Fond du Lac
high-end clothing that won’t empty your wallet Dorothy Bliskey | Special to The Reporter
The Clothes Line, a women’s consignment shop at 13 E. First St., is much more than a place to buy used clothing and accessories. It’s a boutique-style store that carries top-brand clothing and accessories — items that customers would pay outlandish prices for if they were new. A few of the clothing items are new, although most arrive on consignment, with the owner of the pieces earning some of the profit. All of the jewelry and some of the purses at The Clothes Line are new. Skirts, pants, dresses and tops in name brands such as Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, J Jill, J Crew, Columbia, American Eagle and many more can be found among the inventory, which changes seasonally. Shoes, purses, jewelry, scarves, belts, sunglasses, evening wear and coats round out the selection. Owner Sandy Velasco treks far beyond Fond du Lac in search of new accessories. “I frequently travel the country to provide my customers with breathtaking jewelry and purses,” Velasco said, noting that clothing is taken by appointment only. “Any clothes remaining at the end of the season are donated to various women’s shelters because that is what recycling is all about,” she added. Velasco has shopped at jewelry shows in Las Vegas, Houston and Chicago and at markets as far away as
Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 to 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Appointments must be made for articles to be considered for consignment. A new or first-time account needs to submit 25 articles for consideration. Velasco is now scheduling appointments for fall and winter clothing consignment. For an appointment call the store at 920-922-3371.
Guatemala and El Salvador. Next July she plans a jewelry-buying adventure while on a pleasure trip to Africa. “I’m always thinking about my customer, and often that means thinking outside of the box,” Velasco said. What’s hot and tends to fly out of her store are purses that would be very expensive if purchased new. “We get a lot of inquiries on name brand purses such as Coach, Dooney & Burke and Louis Vuitton,” Velasco said. “When I receive any of those, they’re usually gone before they hit the shelves.” Velasco, whose background is in interior decorating, operated a downtown interior decorating business known as Between the Walls in the mid-1990s. After dissolving that business, she purchased an existing consignment shop on Main Street in 1999. Velasco changed the name and the look of the shop, and five years ago moved it to the present location after purchasing and renovating the building. The large expanse of front display window caught her eye when looking to purchase the building. Likewise, Velasco’s attention-grabbing window displays help to
bring people into her store. “A captivating window dressing can make all the difference in the world,” Velasco said. “Now if only those mannequins could talk.” Velasco’s extensive renovation of the building — which found her knocking down walls, painting, and even laying the store’s hardwood floor slat by slat — also resulted in two apartments above the store. They are rented by the month to business travelers for area companies. Each apartment has Direct TV, wireless computer hookups and comes completely furnished. The Clothes Line’s downtown location is important to Velasco. “As a child I grew up in a very rural area, and there was always something intriguing about walking and shopping in the downtown of any city,” she said. “We may not be in the heart of New York City, but The Clothes Line provides that ‘let’s paint the town red’ sort of feeling.” “It’s a fun and funky place to shop that would be at home among the boutiques of Milwaukee or Chicago.”
TOP: Sandy Velasco, right, owner of The Clothes Line, 13 E. First St., Fond du Lac, assists shopper Kathy Braun as she looks at the purses in the women’s consignment shop. ABOVE LEFT: Kathy Braun looks at items in a case at the boutique-style store. The Reporter photos by Justin Connaher