Reclaim Threads (615 27th St. South, Suite D), a vintage clothing shop just opened, bringing sustainable, “slow-fashion” to the Warehouse Arts District. Co-owners Marissa Baker and Emma Charles oppose the waste, human rights violations, and carbon footprint of the fast-fashion industry. The collections at Reclaim Threads are ethical, upcycled, vintage clothes with a unique twist that you will not find anywhere else in St. Pete.
“We use original vintage and second-hand vintage clothes to make adjustments [to the garments],” says Emma. “We spend a lot of time deconstructing. And the designs are based on what’s available. I have this [garment] and I’m inspired to make it better.”
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Being limited by what’s available doesn’t hinder Marissa and Emma’s creativity. Limitation, after all, is a formal constraint in which to experiment. Just glancing through the collection online, you’ll find patchwork suede floof vests, a denim cow-spot bustier, genie leg chaps, a holographic kimono, and a Dior quilted house dress with fur, amongst much much more.
“We add a lot of fur to things,” laughs Marissa. I think we can all concur on an affinity for fur.
Dedicated to sustainable fashion
In direct opposition to fast fashion (one of the highest polluting industries in the world), Reclaim Threads is an upcycled slow fashion shop. According to their ethos, they monitor their carbon footprint via app, use only available materials., and minimize waste. Buying upcycled or recycled clothes instead of new clothes from the fast-fashion industry.
This applies to them as well. Neither Emma nor Marissa have bought new clothes in over 6 years, and when they drive to festivals to sell clothes, trailer cramped with stock, they calculate it into their monthly offset of carbon emissions. Last month they offset 1,359 KG of carbon. The sustainability message seems to be gaining traction. “Sometimes I’ll see someone I sold clothes to 2 years ago, and they’ll tell me they still haven’t bought new clothing,” says Marissa
A fortuitous meeting
Marissa and Emma met at a party. When Marissa began hula hooping, Emma grabbed her baton and joined. Their conversation swerved around their shared love of festivals and vintage clothing. They decided to go into business together the following day.
They stitched their backgrounds to form Reclaim Threads. Emma brought retail experience—she knows how to handle merchandising and displays. She’s got business acumen, too, so she manages the back end of the business. Marissa was formerly the Fashion Director of Prolific Quarterly, an international high fashion and glamour magazine, and she’s no stranger to fashion shows and wardrobe styling.
While Reclaim Threads is now a brick-and-mortar store, it started out on the road. As festival goers, they trucked their threads around to festivals, like Bonnaroo, selling out of a 20’ x 10’ booth. Despite being hitched to a building now, they have no intention of stopping their nomadic ways and will continue to take their threads out into the world.
Marissa says, “We encourage people who say: ‘I love those clothes but I could never wear it’, we inspire confidence in those people to wear what they want and not be so afraid of public opinion.”
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