Staff photo by Allan Jung/Daily News and Wicked Local
Andrea Sorrelle displays some of the clothes at Andrea's Boutique & Consignment in Holliston.
"I grew up in fashion. I do that, I know that and I love that," said Andrea Sorrelle, standing behind a glass counter glittering with diamond necklaces.
Petite with tan skin, cropped auburn hair and a long shimmery skirt, Sorrelle, 44, is the entrepreneur responsible for Andrea’s Boutique and Consignment, which opened recently at 32 Central St. in Holliston and sells used clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes.
The racks that line the boutique’s sunny yellow walls burst with good-as-new Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada items, but Sorrelle said her mission is to help women feel confident and express themselves through what they wear without spending a lot of money.
"As women we don’t tend to think about ourselves, but I want us to think about how it’s important to take care of ourselves," the Millis resident said.
Sorrelle’s childhood influenced her fashion philosophy.
Italian by birth but raised in Uruguay, Sorrelle said she inherited her mother’s love for all things glamorous. Her aunt, a high-end tailor, would customize Sorrelle’s clothes to let her wear exactly what she wanted.
That taught her to express herself through her clothing, so Sorrelle said she wanted to own a consignment shop to encourage women to buy used clothes.
"If it’s in new condition and you can have it for less money, why not?" she said.
While helping customers put together stylish ensembles, she said she has noticed a big difference in how women dress in Europe and Uruguay vs. in America.
In Europe and Uruguay, where the culture has been influenced by the large influx of Europeans during World War II, she said people would never dream of wearing used clothes.
Although she has seen a few small thrift stores in Europe and a once-a-year used clothing market in Uruguay, Sorrelle said her relatives cannot believe her business is successful.
" ’They’re really buying used clothing?!’ " she said her aunt asked.
Sorrelle said Europeans dress up to go anywhere and are more judgmental of others’ clothes. You wouldn’t be caught dead wearing yellow when orange is in season, she said.
"(In America) people are so busy they don’t pay attention, they don’t have time to care. That’s how it should be," she said.
Once while visiting her sister in Florida, Sorrelle said she wanted to go to the supermarket in a velour Juicy Couture sweatsuit. Her sister, aghast, insisted she change clothes.
"Change? To go to the supermarket?" Sorrelle responded.
She said she is more comfortable in the American fashion culture, where people are freer to express their individuality rather than adhere to the styles they see on the runway.
"I’m a very funky person and I’m not afraid to use it," she said.
In the first month of business, Sorrelle said a steady stream of customers have come in to introduced themselves, shop and consign.
Susan Penchansky, of Holliston, shops and consigns at Andrea’s Boutique because she said she likes small stores where you can see everything and get to know the owner.
"I don’t have a lot of time and I love the personal nature of it. You get to know the owner and it’s not like a big department store," she said.
She said there is no stigma attached to wearing something re-used.
"There might be with some people but not with my friends," Penchansky said.
Sorrelle’s shop has been a project she’s dreamed for many years of completing.
After working in Uruguay as an interior designer, Sorrelle came to the United States 11 years ago and previously worked as the manager of another consignment store.
Sorrelle, whose own brand-name attire speaks for her love of fashion, said she shops often and everywhere, from T.J.Maxx to Lord & Taylor, and she knows the market and how much items are worth.
At the boutique, consigners get 50 percent of clothing sales and 75 percent for fine jewelry.
Items range from around $10 to more than $100 for items that were originally five times that price. Most jeans, normally priced between $100 and $300, sell for $70.
Sorrelle accepts only seasonal clothing in excellent condition and no more than two years old, showing the leather handle of a Louis Vuitton bag that had no cracks and opened it to reveal a pristine leather interior.
"I don’t want to insult anyone," she said.
Unsold merchandise becomes half price after a month in the store and is returned to the owner if it doesn’t sell within two weeks.
Sorrelle donates unclaimed items to Dress for Success, an organization that provides professional attire to struggling women.
"I like to support women and I think we should support each other," she said.
Another frequent shopper is Franklin jewelry maker Christine Knight, who consigns her creations at Andrea’s. Last week Knight came to swap jewelry in the display case for new pieces she made recently.
Sorrelle oohed and aahed while Knight unrolled her case of shiny accessories.
"I love it! So sparkly!" Sorrelle exclaimed. The women spent more than an hour rearranging the display of earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings.
Mary Dolan, 49, an Irish woman who lives in Norwood, also consigns clothing and jewelry at the boutique. She said she sometimes buys name-brand items without trying them on, and often brings in never-worn clothing.
As they sifted through Dolan’s latest pile of dresses, the women talked about the differences between American and European fashion.
Dolan agreed with Sorrelle that Americans are more old-fashioned but less narrow-minded about other peoples’ clothes.
But in the end, Sorrelle said, it’s important to wear whatever makes you feel good about yourself.
"It’s not about designers, just have fun and don’t forget you’re pretty and a woman, and put something together and look good for yourself," she said.
Andrea’s Boutique and Consignment is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 508-429-7400.
Copyright 2011 The Milford Daily News. Some rights reserved
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