The Way We Wore Store in Expansion Mode
Doris Raymond finds it hard to believe she has been in the vintage clothing business for 30 years now.
But sales have been so successful that she is looking for another store location to complement her 3,500-square-foot The Way We Wore store that has been around for eight years at 334 S. La Brea Ave. "I would like to stay in the La Brea corridor," said the veteran vintage clothing collector who specializes in apparel from the 1890s to the 1970s. "While I am visualizing this right now, I don't need to do anything until the end of the year."
However, she is looking for retail location tips that would help deal with her inventory overflow. "Because of my voracious appetite for shopping, I buy faster than I sell. I need to go into therapy, but that's another story."
Right now, Raymond is putting everything on her first floor on sale until Feb. 12. "Because of my horrible addiciton, I need to have things on sale," she explained. "But I don't want to curb my buying."
So if you can touch an item on the first floor, it's on sale. If it is in a showcase, that's a different story.
Raymond is renowned for selling her pieces to designers who are looking for inspiration. They could be interested in the look of a pocket or collar, or the silhouette of a gown. Half her business is done with idea-challenged designers who can call ahead with a wish list of looks and have various items pulled for their perusal. Michael Kors was in a week ago and several designers from Coach and Boden have visited Raymond recently.
