Maybe women living in the Upper Ohio Valley are not aware of its existence, or perhaps it’s because most believe this treasure trove of clothes is only for the ladies living at the Wheeling YWCA, but those volunteering at the Y Not Repeat Boutique would like to see the shop go mainstream for the general public.
“We want everyone to know that the Repeat Boutique is open to anyone and everyone who wants to come in and do some shopping,” insisted Judy Crews, the volunteer managing of the women’s clothing store. “We have clothes that will fit any size woman in anything, from dress clothes to jeans and a t-shirt.
“On the main floor, we have a little bit of everything, and every garment is only $1, and then we have what we call an upscale room that has things that are priced from $5 to $20,” she explained. “And we also have shoes, boots, purses, jewelry, every kind of clothing you can think of, and we’re pretty confident that we have the best prices in the valley.”
Volunteers and Community Support
That is because of a dedicated group of volunteers and the delivered donations of new or gently used items that flow into the Repeat Boutique on a daily basis between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“People in this area are very good to us,” Crews said. “And it’s always a good mixture of clothes and accessories, so those who come here to shop never really know what they are going to find on one of these racks or within one of the displays.
“The people who volunteer here are just great and we have a lot of fun doing what we do to keep the boutique operating in a very efficient manner,” she said. “It’s really a great place to volunteer because we all have the same love for clothes, and the same love for the people we get to help.”
The Repeat Boutique is one of nine programs operated by the staff of the Wheeling YWCA, and every dollar spent at the shop is contributed to the prevention of domestic and family violence, to retraining for the current workforce, and toward improving cultural diversity.
“When the shop first opened, it was around 30 years ago and it was located in the basement back then,” said Crews. “I wanted to volunteer here when it first started but I couldn’t because I was so busy with my own clothing business. I sold Doncaster clothes for women as a direct seller of upscale clothing, and that was great because I had kids and I was able to make my own schedule.
“I then became a district manager and I got to hire a lot of women so they could run their own businesses, too,” she explained. “It was a lot of fun and I met so many great women along the way. And yes, I also got some great clothes.”
Great Clothing
The Y Not Repeat Boutique is located within the historic Wheeling YWCA building at 1100 Chapline Street, and the shop can be accessed through the main entrance or by ringing the bell at the orange door along 11th Street in downtown Wheeling.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved with a boutique like this to provide great clothes for our women here at the YWCA so they can dress for success and go out there into the world and start a new chapter in their lives,” Crews said. “It’s about them feeling important and worthwhile, and I believe clothes can do that for women. That’s why we want all women to feel free to come visit us.
“We have women who are staying here in the building and they have come in here and have said that they had nothing to their name because of the way they had to leave where they were living,” she continued. “With the Repeat Boutique, we can provide those ladies with everything they need expect for underwear. We have what they need to dress for a job interview, and we have what they need just to be casual. The range of what the Repeat Boutique is very broad and every woman that comes in is able to find something they’ve always wanted to wear.”
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