This week’s “Business Spotlight” is Malena’s Vintage Boutique, which is located at 101 W Gay Street! We sat down with their owner, Malena Martinez.

1. Tell me about your store and any particular things you believe make it unique.

Malena’s Vintage Boutique specializes in envy-worthy vintage through antique clothing and accessories. The hand-selected vintage inventory reflects a trend-conscious style but is still unique. The eras range from the 1980s through the 1860s. We’re also one of the few vintage clothing stores, outside of NYC, with an appointment-only showroom. This is where we warehouse our best vintage clothing finds, fragile antique clothing, 1920’s dresses, and where we prep for our twice-a-year sale at the Manhattan Vintage Show.

2. What services or products do you offer?

Along with selling, we purchase our inventory from local people who have acquired vintage and antique clothing through family members or their own collections. Many of our items are available online via Etsy, eBay, and Instagram, but we always focus on the in-store customer. Our inventory includes vintage dresses, gowns, skirts, pants, tops, jackets, jewelry, shoes, scarves, and more.

3. How long have you been in business?

The boutique has been on West Gay street since 2003!

4. What do you love most about being located in West Chester?

Throughout my 19 years here, the consistent support from the community has been nothing less than inspiring. From the assistance we got during our Instagram outage to positive feedback regarding our window displays, myself and my staff always feel like part of the local neighborhood. We’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our past, present, and future customers for your business and support!

5. What can you tell me about the culture or atmosphere of your store?

We are fully committed to an environment of inclusivity with a strong dedication to sustainability. We take pride in the wearability of our items and their authenticity.

6. Is there anything else you would like to share about your store?

Got vintage items? We buy from anyone by appointment in our boutique daily and offer house visits for clients with large collections. A consignment service is available for some designer vintage and hard-to-part-with vintage couture, as well as fine jewelry.

To shop our current inventory, visit our website (www.malenasboutique.com), follow us on social media (@msmalena), or stop by the store and say hi!