By Owen Sexton / [email protected]
Whether you’re looking to put together a beautiful new outfit, find the perfect pair of used vintage jeans, or simply look for stylish, locally made jewelry, the Cluttered Closet Boutique likely has what you’re looking for and more.
Cluttered Closet originally opened in the now-closed Yard Birds shopping center and is located in downtown Centralia. It is holding a grand reopening event this weekend to celebrate its second move after leaving Yard Birds and coming under new ownership, according to co-owner Madison “Maddie” Horn of Centralia.
The Chronicle caught up with her on Tuesday, August 20, to talk about how she and her family came to own and run Cluttered Closet and to give a sneak peek of this weekend’s event.
“We bought it in late May 2022 from Shelly, who I believe started it in 2019,” Horn said. “When she moved away from Yard Birds, she was sick and it was getting worse and she didn’t have enough help, so she just needed to take a break.”
Horn now runs the business with her mother, Michele Cope, her sister, Carlie Cope, and her niece, Harlee.
Horn stated that the old owner had already moved out before Yard Birds’ permanent closure in August 2022 after the building failed an inspection by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry and the building’s power was turned off due to mounting unpaid utility bills.
“They knew it was over,” she said.
Cluttered Closet then moved right next door to its current location next to Strange Lands.
“We operated as a small community for about a year and a half. Then Strange Lands went bankrupt, so that was over. We took it over as a back room, hoping it would provide enough space, but we still outgrew it,” Horn said.
Horn was already a local merchant in Strange Lands, and when she heard that Cluttered Closet was for sale, she jumped at the chance to run a business with her mother, which had always been her dream.
The Cluttered Closet boutique lives up to its name, as Horn said the former owner bought too much merchandise. She estimated that Cluttered Closet had about 5,000 items when she bought it.
“She also had a makeshift back room and a storage room that she left with us. There were probably 10,000 items in there,” Horn said.
When the Victorian and Steampunk department store next door moved to a new location further south on Tower Avenue, Horn and her family jumped at the opportunity to move into the larger store. After replacing the floor and repainting the walls, they moved in.
They did not keep everything they brought with them when they purchased the store because some items did not meet the quality standards that Horn and her family want to offer. Horn explained that the goal is to establish the store as a “high-end discount secondhand boutique.”
The family washes everything they put on the racks at Cluttered Closet, including removing stains. And because they still have so much in stock, the items are priced low enough to sell. The store even has a rack of clothes for 99 cents.
“We moved in here and we’ve already outgrown it,” Horn added.
In addition to clothing, the old owner especially liked to sell Victoria’s Secret perfumes and the famous PINK fashion line, and Cluttered Closet still sells them today.
“She was really known for her Victoria’s Secret stuff, particularly PINK, the early 2000s Victoria’s Secret PINK clothing, so we have a whole rack of that,” Horn said.
All Victoria’s Secret perfumes in the range are also brand new.
Horn also works with local vendors, selling everything from locally made soap and body care products to body jewelry and even custom crocheted clothing.
She added that other local artisans interested in selling their products at Cluttered Closet are invited to contact her.
To keep the store moving, Cluttered Closet now offers weekend deals every week. On Fridays, students receive 20% off their purchases, on Saturdays, people 40 and older receive 20% off, and on Sundays and Mondays, military, first responders and healthcare workers receive 20% off. Horn’s mother also currently works in healthcare as a respiratory therapist in Longview.
There are also discounts of up to 25% for clothing donations. However, Cluttered Closet is not currently accepting children’s clothing donations due to a lack of space. They also try to offer discounts of up to 40% on certain items on the first weekend of every month.
“Our slogan is ‘Wear the best for less.’ My mother is very proud of that,” Horn added.
There are also big discounts at this weekend’s big reopening event – officially called the August Summer Sale Bash -: 50% off all purchases from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 24th, and Sunday, August 25th.
The event will also feature a raffle where customers will receive a ticket for a $50 gift card to The Cluttered Closet Boutique for every dollar spent.
Many local vendors will also be on site and food and drinks will be available.
The Cluttered Closet boutique is located at 529 N. Tower Ave. in downtown Centralia. For more information, follow Cluttered Closet on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3SYRTFh or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theclutteredclosetboutique/.
