Love Women’s Fashion? Here’s How to Love It Even More!
You know that feeling when your outfit just works? When every accessory is perfect, the fit is fabulous, and the look is exactly what you want? Women who shop for designer clothing at Clothes Mentor get to experience that feeling every day. The power. The self-confidence. The freedom. Now imagine owning the clothing franchise and being able to work — and shop — in the world’s most amazing closet! For those who have a fancy for clothes, an eye for high style and a heart for helping, owning a women’s clothing franchise like Clothes Mentor may be just the career you’ve been craving.
Let’s get real. This is not your grandmother’s thrift shop, full of castaways that no one wants to wear. NTY Franchise Company brands like Clothes Mentor are highly selective in the items they purchase. Designer clothing. Name brands you know and love. Current fashion, gently-used and in excellent condition. Upscale resale clothing, designed to fit and flatter a variety of shapes and sizes. And the women who own a Clothes Mentor franchise get to live their dream of being on the forefront of fashion, while also helping their community. Every day they make customers look and feel their best, at a price they can afford.
JENNAH ESPOSITO: GETTING PAID TO SHOP
Mansfield, Ohio, is located between Columbus and Cleveland, with the closest big clothing retailers an hour’s drive in either direction. Thirty-year-old Jennah Esposito opened a Clothes Mentor franchise in Mansfield last October. She loves women’s fashion and admits it’s a blast to come to work and be able to shop on the job. She also enjoys helping her customers find upscale clothing without paying mall prices.
“There’s something new coming in every day,” she explains. “When stuff comes in the door, we have our pick of the latest fashion finds. I go to work every day and can basically shop, for myself and my customers. I’m the mannequin dresser and almost every day, people undress the mannequins and buy the entire outfit!”
Jennah says the Clothes Mentor business model makes sense on several levels for the women of Mansfield. “Before these kinds of resale stores,” she wonders, “what did you do with your stuff? The only option was donating to charity.” But with Clothes Mentor, local women can repurpose their gently-used clothing and accessories and sell them to the store. The customer makes money on the sale, and the other shoppers benefit from great fashion at a reduced resale price.
“After our clearance sales,” Jennah continues, “we donate to a specific church that gives the clothes away to people in need in our community. We are helping people who can’t afford retail prices still feel good and look beautiful.”
SADIE CHERNEY: STAYING ON TOP OF TRENDS
For 33-year-old Sadie Cherney, keeping up with what’s current in women’s fashion is part of the joy of owning three Clothes Mentor franchise operations in Greenville, Columbia and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her staff is very selective in the items they accept, purchasing only 25–30 percent of the items customers bring in for sale. “We always stay on top of trends, so we can help customers find what they want in our store,” she says. “We look for spike trends, we buy with caution, and we don’t accept older items.” She’s proud of the quality of clothing in her stores and admits it’s a problem to keep her own closet from exploding. “No matter what anybody says, you’re always shopping when you’re working,” she laughs.
“For mall retail stores, they normally have one specific look,” Sadie explains. “Our diversity of clothing and accessories can be exciting. We sell designer handbags, footwear, accessories and clothing. The quality is good to great.” This franchise owner knows what she’s talking about — because she studies it for fun, and for profit.
Sadie is driven by data, and says she relies on the corporate NTY Franchise Company team for help in keeping her store on the cutting edge. “They are always crunching numbers and that helps franchise owners,” she says. “If we have a clearance sale, we know what customers said ‘no’ to. We know trends and prices. It helps us to be ready to adapt to any type of change. The company is wonderful, supportive and communicative.” It’s the perfect place for a fashion-forward woman like Sadie to work and help others live their fashion fantasies!
Sadie offers her customers the Clothes Mentor Personal Shopper Program at all three locations. The service allows shoppers to fill in their personal details on the franchise’s website. The Personal Shopper then sets an appointment and has items ready for the customer to try on when she arrives. The program is free of charge and there’s no obligation for customers to purchase anything.
CHRIS BARNETT: HELPING WOMEN LOVE THEIR BODIES
The Personal Shopper Programs in Springfield and Westchester, Pennsylvania, are a point of pride for Clothes Mentor owner Chris Barnett. She hires fashion and merchandising grads from local universities who like nothing more than finding a perfect outfit for a customer. “So often women feel bad about their bodies, when they really only need to feel bad about the way the clothes fit,” Chris believes. “Our Personal Shoppers’ mission is to show women how beautiful they are by finding clothes that fit them the best.”
Chris says her mission is accomplished when a customer can run a full cycle at her Clothes Mentor store. “A woman can buy the business suit and Coach briefcase she needs to land a great job,” she adds, “then purchase her work wardrobe, and sell back the items she doesn’t wear very often.” She says Clothes Mentor allows a woman to always have what she needs when she needs it, and what she wants when she wants it.
Chris also appreciates the eco-friendliness of the Clothes Mentor franchise concept. It’s sustainable, not fast-fashion. “You purchase an item, but when you tire of it, you sell it,” she offers. “In our store, we also have three places for our customers to donate clothing they are unable to sell. We then take donations to a local church that distributes the clothing to homeless shelters.” Her stores hold fundraisers on site and participate in “retail therapy parties” for birthdays and other functions.
LIVE YOUR PASSION FOR FASHION EVERY DAY
Owning a Clothes Mentor franchise has given all three of these women a chance to surround themselves with beauty and inspiration. They see the high-end designer fashions that make their way into the store. They chat with customers and share expertise on new trends and timeless styles. They help women make wise fashion choices that fit within their family’s budget. And they all love what they do.
“Our staff is friendly, and customers love that there are so many sizes and styles,” says Jennah Esposito of her Ohio Clothes Mentor business. Once people discover her store, “they say it’s so beautiful and it’s so nice to have it in our town.”
For Jennah, Sadie and Chris, owning a Clothes Mentor franchise is more than a great investment. It’s a way to live their passion and help other women. And in case you’re wondering, the side benefit of working in the world’s best closet allows them to keep their own closets stocked, season after season, with fabulous clothes they purchased on the job.