What goes round, comes round

MURRAY WILSON/Tribune

Palmerston North couple Michelle and Peter Grey have purchased many items of clothing from Wesley Vintage. She paid $12 for her Newport Studio jacket while her husband's leather one set him back $50.

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The shoes are Kumfs, the jacket Newport Studio and the top Grace Hill.

The labels are part of professional woman Michelle Grey's work wardrobe and she got them all from Palmerston North secondhand shop Wesley Vintage.

The Methodist Social Services (MSS) venture turns two on Tuesday.

Ms Grey, MSS' director, buys about 90 percent of her wardrobe - casual, work, sporting and evening - from Wesley Vintage and its sister shop Highbury House.

Husband Peter Grey estimates about 20 percent of his wardrobe comes from the same source.

MSS once had four secondhand shops raising funds for its social services, but decided to close three, keep Highbury open and establish Wesley Vintage in the CBD.

Ms Grey describes it as "the poshest little op shop in town".

Certainly the neat and grammatically correct signs, professional price tags and spot lighting of garments give that impression.

Then there's the customer loyalty card and the shopping baskets for use in store.

"We put a lot of work into what we do, we have high standards," she says.

"We just keep trying to get better at what we do, we are always looking for smarter ways of working and to lift our game."

Among the range of clothing is party wear, maternity, unique (including four wedding dresses the day The Tribune visited), 18-plus (one of the most popular lines), men's dress jackets and trousers and ties.

Ms Grey says well-known labels Wesley Vintage often has in store include Max, Trelise Cooper, TR Designs and Emerge, while among the underwear section The Tribune spotted Fayreform garments.

"It's amazing what people pop in our yellow [donation] bins," she says.

Customers are a cross section of society - businesspeople, retirees, students, and those on lower incomes.

"I've come in here at lunchtimes and seen men in suits buying."

The lion's share of the donated clothing is women's with men tending to wear their clothes out, Ms Grey says.

In general, clothes are displayed for four weeks and if not sold are sent to other ventures.

"People want to see new stuff all the time."

Ms Grey says despite the rent for the King Street premises being more than for the three previous shops combined, the turnover justifies the decision.

The premises were once home to Whitcoulls with the custom-made carpet sporting Ws still present. Ms Grey saw it as an omen as she initially thought M for Methodist.

Wesley Vintage also sells jewellery, accessories, furniture, linen, curtains and bric-a-brac.

To celebrate the second birthday, everything in store will be reduced by 30 percent on Tuesday.

- © Fairfax NZ News