Rose Colored Glasses puts positive spin on women's, girls' resale on Grand Rapids' West Side

A building on Grand Rapids' West Side known as the "old pawn shop" is now recycling used possessions to a new crowd of customers: women and girls. Rose Colored Glasses brings fashion resale to a cozy 700-square-foot boutique at 827 W. Fulton St.

The store's tag line, "a resale shop for girls of all ages," invites shoppers into a welcoming atmosphere filled with trendy clothing and one-of-a-kind wearables in sizes ranging from girls' 14 to women's plus.

"The store's name comes from the Faulkner novel "A Rose for Emily," about an old lady who saw things only through a positive light," says owner Kathleen Wojtowicz. "So I named my daughter Emily Rose, and I thought the positive meaning of Rose Colored Glasses would be a great name for a shop for women.

"We have some vintage, some retro," she says. "I collect the fashions myself and have buyers working for me in the community, but the bulk of our clothing I buy from my customers."

Shoppers will find shoes, purses, belts, scarves, "scarves are one of our specialties," says Wojtowicz. Costume and vintage jewelry pieces include pins and necklaces of sparkling rhinestones, and even clip-on earrings.

Rose Colored Glasses offers a variety of new and upcycled items made by local artists: stained glass necklaces and wall hangings by Karen Kennedy Thoms, vintage pillowcases fashioned into unique skirts by Candice Norcross and skirts Sherie Armstrong embellishes with used neckties.

"I'm a third generation West Sider and I have a lot of interest in the growth of the West Side," says Wojtowicz. "The newer businesses coming in are taking cues from the success of Wealthy Street and other places around Grand Rapids. We want that walkability. Our forefathers had vision and wanted things to grow on the West Side, and I'm playing a very small part to make it happen."
    
Store hours: Tues. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Weds. 11 to 3; Thurs. and Fri. 11 to 7; Sat. 11 to 5. Visit the store's website here.

Source: Kathleen Wojtowicz, Rose Colored Glasses
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor