Wear It's @ men's consignment shop opens on Zeeland's Main St.

Men near the lakeshore can save a few bucks and recycle at the same time when they shop at Wear It's @, a new Zeeland store with a fresh take on the consignment clothing craze.

Instead of the vast array of women's wear typically found at consignment shops, Wear It's @ offers gently used clothing, shoes and accessories exclusively for men and teen boys.

The store (152 E. Main St.) opened last week offering shorts, golf shirts, Hawaiian shirts, tees, shoes and business attire. Pant waist sizes range from 30 to 44 inches, and suits range in price from $38 to $166.

Michelle Pena, 39, came up with the idea for the shop after she tried to find clothing deals for her husband and son. She found some men's clothes in consignment shops in Ada and Nashville, but nothing closer to home. She and her niece, Angela Hernandez, 36, had been investigating starting a business together, and men's consignment seemed to be a fit.

The two used their creative energies to renovate the 1,000-square-foot storefront.

"We wanted to go a bit more industrial, so we distressed the walls," says Hernandez. "We painted the back wall with a big @ sign on it, and got free doors from Craigslist and built two big fitting rooms."

The store offers an inviting sitting area with a TV and easy chairs. Recycled finds dot the display areas: mirrors found at garage sales and a free dresser someone put out on the curb.

"We wanted to make it look like a retail shop and not a thrift store," Hernandez says. "We have brands like Hollister, GAP and Abercrombie that are geared to young men. We're right across the street from Clothes Junkie (women's consignment), so I figure there are already people downtown shopping for those things; maybe they'll send their men over here while they're shopping."

The store opens each day at 10 a.m. Closing hours are: Mon. and Tues. 7 p.m.; Weds. and Thurs. 5 p.m., Fri. 8 p.m.; Sat. 4 p.m.

Source: Angela Hernandez, Wear It's @
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor