ANDERSONVILLE — A boutique offering original and "upcycled" vintage clothing and jewelry recently moved from North Center to Andersonville.
Owner Susan Lynch, 48, jumped at the opportunity to open Tilly in Andersonville at 5232 N. Clark St. after operating out of North Center at 4164 N. Lincoln Ave. for the past four years, she said.
"I always knew I wanted to be up here," said Lynch, who added that her lease was up in North Center and the timing was "perfect."
"I think [Andersonville] is the best neighborhood in the city. I look forward to coming to work now. It's like teaching a class where people really want to learn."
Mina Bloom says the neighborhood is welcoming the new shop:
Last Sunday, Tilly officially moved into her new Clark Street space, which formerly housed Jade Nails Salon for the last decade. After a little more than a week in business, Lynch said she's gotten an "overwhelming" amount of support from nearby business owners, who she said routinely check up on her. And her landlord bought her a Swedish-inspired blue and gold awning.
"It's truly a family over here," she said.
Customers have already shown support, too. This past weekend three separate brides came in looking for vintage accessories, and one customer bought 12 pairs of vintage earrings Sunday, she said.
Lynch, who lives in North Center with her husband and two children, gets her secondhand inventory from private estates, including through her now-neighbor Brownstone Antiques, 5234 N. Clark St., and individuals who choose to sell boxes of vintage goodies that were previously collecting dust. Lynch added that the folks behind Brownstone were a "critical" help when she decided to move.
Prices at Tilly vary, ranging from $15 for earrings to $350 for a one-of-a-kind dress.
The shop is filled with unique pieces from different eras, some of which have gotten a modern facelift. Lynch upcycles vintage items, meaning she uses discarded vintage materials to create new pieces. For one necklace, for example, Lynch used parts from a chandelier, a necklace from the 1940s and an art deco piece, she said. She also regularly works with a seamstress, who modifies the shop's vintage clothing to give them modern cuts like adding cap sleeves to a 50s dress, she said.
"I know the history of every piece that comes in here," she said.
Originally from Farmington Hills, Mich., Lynch said she got the "vintage buzz" when she moved to New York City for law school, she said.
She went on to work as an attorney for 17 years, specializing in different areas, including divorce, real estate and contract.
It wasn't until about a year and a half ago that she decided to focus on running her vintage boutique full-time, she said.
Her new Andersonville digs may not be perfect — she said her space used to have three times the amount of space when she operated out of North Center. But she said the foot traffic wasn't great in North Center.
Once the weather warms up, she plans on putting clothing racks outside for customers to peruse. And the space's original stain glass windows and tin ceilings give it character, she said. Plus, she's finally made her way to Andersonville, which has been her goal all along.
"Everyone's been so nice," Lynch said referring to other local business owners.
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