Building It Up: Part 1

Here's a little taste of how the space is shaping up! Click on the photo to view the album.

It's All in the Name

re•volve

[ri-volv]

1. to move in a circular or curving course or orbit: The earth revolves around the sun.
2. to proceed or occur in a round or cycle; come around again in the process of time; recur.
3. to focus or center on.
4. a downtown Corvallis boutique of consignment, gently used, and new merchandise.

When we were thinking about a name for our store, we really wanted something that captured the benefits of consigning unwanted clothing. Working off of the principle of the three R’s, the name revolve was born.

Reduce: The average American throws away 67.9 pounds of clothing and rags annually. Collectively, 2 quadrillion (2,000,000,000,000,000!!!) pounds of clothing and textiles end up in landfills every year, and it is estimated that 95% of used clothing is still usable (e.g., made into rags) or at the very least, recyclable (http://charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/used-clothing.htm).

Reuse: There’s a very good chance that your unwanted items of clothing will find new life in someone else’s closet. Even if that sassy shirt has lost its luster for you, just think of how fabulous it might make someone else feel…maybe they’ve been looking for THAT SHIRT for a long time, and you get to be the one to give that little gift!

Recycle: This one has proven to be a little tricky. Textile recycling programs are out there, but they’re most often found in more metropolitan areas. We’re hoping to collaborate with Corvallis Disposal to establish a textile recycling depot here – we’ll keep you posted as information comes in.

So what is in a name? Well, we’re hoping that our name will become synonymous with the three R’s around here. A lofty goal, yes. But the business’ mission was formed around the idea. It’s not new or crazy, but it is at the heart of how we conduct ourselves personally and now professionally. And we think that the word “revolve” fits in nicely with reduce, reuse, and recycle. It kind of caps the phrase off, bringing it all together. And that, friends, is what is in our name.

Some of you might also be wondering, “What’s the deal with the dot in the middle of your name?” That’s really open for interpretation – ours changes all the time! But we always come back to the clichéd idea that change is constant and that we should be ever-vigilant of opportunities to, well, evolve. Our location also reflects a desire to evolve a space: there it was, a rundown and oddly divided space in an historic building in downtown Corvallis. To us it was practically screaming for someone to come in and love it into being! Something about it felt magical…we could see beyond the scrappy carpet and wood paneling, the weird nooks and the smell of years of being uninhabited. We envisioned a space created with intention that would at once honor its history while entering the modern realm. We are so ecstatic to have been able to be the catalyst for this space’s evolution and to have had the support and encouragement of the owners of the Hotel Julian. It is our hope that you feel the goodness when you come in our store!

Join the re•volvement

And now for some of the nitty-gritty...

Below is an abbreviated version of the information card that will be available when we're actually open, but as we lead up to the big day we are very gratefully accepting donations and items that will be put on pre-consignment (all this really means is that we hold your items and your contract start date will be pushed back to when we put your items on the sales floor). If any of you are interested in getting in on this, please email us at revolvement@gmail.com and we'll coordinate!

HOW IT WORKS

Merchandise must be in excellent condition. Current styles are preferable, but if you have a vintage gem we'll be happy to take a look.

All items must be freshly laundered with no stains, tears, musty, or smoke smell and free of pet hair. Please bring your items in neatly folded. Remember that we want your clothes to sell! Please have them in the condition that you would like to buy them.

We will assess your clothing on the spot during our consignment times if you have one bag of merchandise. If you have multiple bags, please be willing to leave it for us to go through or call ahead to set up an appointment. Any items dropped off must be picked up by closing of the third business day following the drop off or the merchandise will become the property of re●volve and donated.

You will be offered 40% of the final selling price for consignment items. Checks or store credit will be issued after your items have been sold. The Consignment Contract is for 60 days and begins when the merchandise is put onto the sales floor. In some cases re●volve will offer to purchase your items in cash instead of consignment. This depends on the item and the demand for it. 

We accept clothing in current seasons:

Fall: August - October    Winter: October - February

Spring: February - May    Summer: May - August

NOTE: these dates are subject to change, please call to confirm.

Looking for something in particular? Fill out a wish list and if we come across a specific item you're looking for we'll get it for you. There is no additional fee for this service and we'd love to help you find it!

SOME OF THE LABELS WE LOVE

 7 for all Mankind, American Apparel, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Betsey Johnson, Billabong,

Citizens of Humanity, Columbia, Esprit, Free People, Gap, G-Star, Hudson, J. Crew, Juicy Couture,

Lucky Brand, Lux, Miss Sixty, Paige Premium, Rock & Republic, RVCA, Splendid, The North Face,

True Religion, Volcom, William Rast.

Feel free to introduce us to labels that YOU love.

Ready, Set, re•volve

 It all started a couple of years ago. Two sisters, chatting on their back patio, dreaming of opening some sort of store whose core mission reflected the conscientious spirit of our beloved community.

Fast forward to the fall of 2010, when our mom and grandma casually suggested opening a consignment boutique. Well, needless to say, we took that idea and immediately ran with it! The possibilities were at once endless and overwhelming – had we actually found the niche in which our musings could be brought to fruition? We began feverishly researching the industry, visiting other local consignment stores, brainstorming like nobody’s business… Could we do this? How? When? Huh?!?

As the weeks went by we began to feel more comfortable with the idea of opening a resale store, embracing the known and even the unknown aspects of business ownership. Scoping out potential locations, deciding on a meaningful business name, tinkering with logo designs, registering with the State… check, check, check, and check. Writing a business plan, finding a location, persevering through periods of doubt and seeming stagnation… sometimes it felt like we’d never get through the yuck. But check, check, and check. It was in these times, as is often true in life in general, that the most valuable and rewarding lessons were learned. A big hurrah for reaching, stretching, and growing!

We’re really looking forward to being a part of the downtown Corvallis culture and engaging with our fellow Corvallians, visitors, and the OSU community. We hope to become a vital part of Corvallis’ spirit through charitable endeavors and by embodying its commitments to social responsibility and environmental sustainability. This blog will be a platform for expressing and discussing these ideals, giving you an opportunity to get to know us better. We’ll also share tips and tricks and other relevant tidbits as we come across them. We love feedback, so leave comments if you feel so inclined!

We’ll keep you updated on our progress so check back soon!