I'm a mentor...

...A Clothes Mentor that is. 

Some of you already know that a couple of months ago I picked up a part time job in what I like to think of as the retail recycling business.  For about 10 hours per week I work at a women's resale clothing store called Clothes Mentor. 

Like we say on our phone greeting there, "Clothes Mentor, You've never seen a resale store like us!" 

It's true.  I've never seen any place like it.  Maybe you've heard of resale stores like Planet Xchange and Plato's Closet?  Places where they pay you for your clothes, shoes, accessories on the spot.  Clothes Mentor is like that, but it's for the sophisticated lady whereas Plato's Closet is more for the person with unbridled hormones (you know...teeny boppers and "young adults"). 

I actually learned about Clothes Mentor when I went into Plato's Closet (just next door) and the girl who went through my items told me, "Your stuff is too mature for our store."  I don't know that I've ever felt that old.  (Well, maybe when I was trying to be cool and put to use the hip lingo my cousin Mikey had just enlightened me with and in front of him and his girlfriend I said "crutch" when I should have said "clutch." Ouch.) So anyway, just when I was feeling hopeless and used up, the girl said, "but in a month or so a new store is opening up and your stuff would be perfect for there!"  I immediately envisioned a whole store dedicated to polyester blend pants with elastic waistbands and shoes with velcro straps.  In fact, I was so distraught and caught off guard about my own maturity that I walked out of the store without my perfectly mature clothing that I could have sold to Clothes Mentor.  So what happens to the "stuff" that people bring in to sell that doesn't get bought you ask?  Clothes Mentor and Plato's Closet donate everything to the Albany City Mission.  I half expect to see a panhandler wearing my old Vera Wang trench (her Kohl's label...). 

Needless to say that when the store opened to accept "buys" (they were buying people's things but people could not buy from CM), I scrounged up plenty of things in the way of mature fashion and probably made close to $200 in cash by selling to CM.  I was there for the Grand Opening (when they started selling to people) standing in line, hoping that no one had scooped up the little vintage navy Gucci bag I had been dreaming about for over a month.  The news crews showed up to capture the scene and some women were holding things up in front of their faces to remain incognito because they had apparently called in sick to work just to shop at CM.  When the owner came out to announce they were opening the doors, I tucked my travel coffee cup into my bag and marched straight over to the tower of designer bags.  My Gucci was gone.  I found plenty of other great things and found myself thinking about how fun it could be to work in a place like this...new and different stuff coming in every day...employee discount...designer clothes, shoes, and bags at great prices....a job that doesn't feel as intense as being a psychotherapist sometimes feels.  I put in an application a month later and got the job. 

I usually work one weeknight and one weekend day per week and I promised myself that I would not spend more than what I make at the store.  Over the past couple of months I have found some amazing deals and I really enjoy the women that I work with and most of the responsibilities that the job entails (my least favorite is straightening the racks...they are crammed with clothes!).  One other drawback is that they don't sell men's clothing so I don't bring finds home for Ian from work...but yesterday I did surprise him with a "chimney starter" for the charcoal grill we have (which Ian salvaged from someone's trash pile). He'd probably prefer if I got a part time job at Home Depot where I'd be (much) less likely to spend my earnings (a girl can only have so many tool belts in her closet, right?).  But for now I'm having a lot of fun and my wardrobe has never looked so good :)

If you're interested in learning more about Clothes Mentor or to see if there's a store near you, click here.