Article from Castle Rock News-Press:
"Walking into Clothes Mentor Lone Tree, customers are met with nearly 25,000 pieces of fashion items. From winter vests and scarves to athletic clothing and dresses to handbags and shoes, it’s an affordable fashion wonderland.
But for Carrie Lohr, the clothing store is more than the items hanging on the racks — It’s about creating a positive and supportive culture for women.
“The clothes are a means to an end,” Lohr said. “The clothes are part of the story, but that’s not what it’s about.”
With a passion for thrifting, shopping and business, Kohr was looking to work in a place that combined all of those aspects and found Clothes Mentor.
Clothes Mentor Lone Tree was previously located on Maximus Drive for about a decade, when Lohr took ownership. The store had outgrown its location and Lohr helped the location move to Westerview Road.
Rather than a consignment store that often involves customers waiting for the items to sell to get their money, Clothes Mentor Lone Tree is a resale store.
The store features gently-used design and brand-name clothing, shoes and accessories that are brought in by community members and bought up front. According to its website, every item is handpicked, inspected and all luxury brands are authenticated.
“We buy in current styles and on demand and then we sell it up to about 70% off our retail and we pay you about 20 to 30% of our selling price,” Lohr said.
While there are other businesses that buy clothing from people, Lohr said Clothes Mentor Lone Tree is catered towards a professional and clean look for women in their mid-twenties and older. She said the store is more for the career woman, mom and grandma audience.
Understanding that some customers are looking for “fast fashion” items, which are made to be worn a few times, Clothes Mentor Lone Tree includes clothes and accessories from high-end brands such as Kate Spade, Coach, Michael Kors, Prada, Louis Vuitton.
However, Lohr said fast fashion is losing ground and she is seeing more people wanting the sustainability of clothing. Clothes Mentor Lone Tree also includes clothes from stores such as Target, Walmart and Old Navy.
As Lohr has worked in fashion for years, she has seen a lot of clothes go in and out of style. She said sometimes it is sad to see a trend fade away, but sometimes people are happy.
But just because a trend goes to the wayside, Lohr said it doesn’t mean that people have to “kiss it goodbye.” She said if you love it enough, there are ways to take those trends and make them stylish again.
Clothes Mentor Lone Tree has seasonal coats and jackets, sweaters, cardigans, kimonos, hats, handbags, gold and silver jewelry, shoes and more. Lohr wants to give customers the feeling of shopping at high-end stores at the mall without having to pay those prices.
“Women always want to look cute and fashionable,” Lohr said. “This provides a way for women to do that but fits any woman’s budget.”
With a goal to help all women feel confident, beautiful and valued, Lohr said that it doesn’t matter what a woman’s budget is, she said the store will work with the individual.
She added that the store is not like a thrift store, in which people oftentimes have to check the quality of the clothing.
“Here, you know that the quality is going to be spot on,” Lohr said.
No matter the brand or what the current trend is on social media, Lohr said it has been fun to see the variety and uniqueness of clothing coming into the store.
“My vision when I opened this was that every woman feels like a queen,” Lohr said. “Every woman comes in and when they leave here, we just made their day a little bit better.”
An eco-friendly business
In addition to Mentor Clothes Lone Tree working to make style accessible, it also aims to be eco-friendly.
By keeping items out of the landfill where it is difficult for items to disintegrate, and recycling and reusing current clothing and fashions, Clothes Mentor Lone Tree is working to create a sustainable lifestyle.
According to the Waste and Resources Action Program, a charity based in the United Kingdom that works with governments and businesses across the globe, states that the fashion industry generates a large amount of waste and emissions.
Over the years, the group’s research has shown that extending clothing lifespan by nine months can reduce water, carbon and waste footprints by nearly 20%.
“It takes gallons of water to make clothing and dye it,” Lohr said. “By repurposing it and reusing it, it’s keeping the clothing fresh and usable and giving it the life that it was meant to have.”
By recycling clothing, it also plays a role in supporting a circular fashion economy. Those interested in selling clothes or fashion items can call the store at 303-649-1369.
Clothes Mentor Lone Tree accepts current women’s fashion items that have no stains, holes or peeling and must be fully functional. Lohr asks that the items be brought in freshly laundered and neatly folded to make displaying the clothing more efficient.
Those who recycle their clothing, shoes or bags to Clothes Mentor Lone Tree have the option to be paid for the items or receive store credit that does not expire. Lohr said many customers like the store credit. She said recently one woman had saved up her store credit to be able to buy a Louis Vuitton item.
“It was fun for us to give her that when she came in,” Lohr said.
Beyond the clothes
Watching the smile come across a customer when they are able to purchase a Louis Vuitton item or when they find the perfect outfit for a special occasion, those are the moments that Lohr cherishes. It’s getting to know about the community and being part of people’s lives that she enjoys the most.
“Life is hard enough on its own and we, as women, need a community to support each other,” Lohr said. “That’s what this store is. It’s a community where we love and support each other.”
Lohr said that she has witnessed strangers exchange numbers while shopping as well as hype on another up when trying on clothes.
As the Lohr and the staff at the store work to make a conscious effort to get to know their customers, they have sent get-well and sympathy cards to women who are having surgery or have recently lost a loved one.
“I feel like that community connection is something that’s greatly missing in society today,” Lohr said. “We’re not just a store, but we’re more of a community of women that just want to love each other.”
Clothes Mentor Lone Tree also partners with several nonprofits throughout the community.
One is a Parker-based nonprofit, SECOR. Lohr said that the coins that customers don’t want go directly to the nonprofit. Additionally, the clothes that don’t sell are donated to either the Help or Hope Center in Castle Rock or Clothes to Kids of Denver.
The store also partners with Covered Colorado, a nonprofit that stands beside sex trafficking survivors as they work towards healing and self-sufficiency.
Lohr said when the women are ready to re-enter the workforce, they have the opportunity to go to Clothes Mentor Lone Tree and shop for an entire outfit, including jewelry and handbags, whatever they need to be successful in the career they chose.
Whether it’s working with nonprofits or giving a local resident a hug, Lohr’s personal mission in life is to brighten people’s days and fashion is one way to do that.
“It’s affordable, it’s quality, it’s sustainability, it’s making an impact,” Lohr said."
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