'Take 2 Clothing' offers secondhand fashions for frugal families

MARYSVILLE — Marysville's LeeAnn Schmidt-Kleinsasser loves fashion and wants to provide inexpensive, quality clothes for the whole family.

After 13 years in retail at Nordstrom, two and a half years as a stay-at-home mom and a lifetime of bargain shopping, she's now living her dream as the owner of "Take 2 Clothing," which opened last month at 1066 State Ave.

"I've wanted to start this business since I was pregnant, so I've been stashing every little thing that I could since then," Schmidt-Kleinsasser said. "I've gone to a lot of garage sales. We stock both classic pieces and up-to-the-minute fashions."

As a parent herself, Schmidt-Kleinsasser wanted to offer her customers a store where other parents could shop for both themselves and their children, even as young as infants, all in one stop. Take 2 Clothing even features a playroom for kids, complete with toys, books and a few videos to keep them occupied.

"Many families have been affected by the economy and don't have the ability to pay retail price tags," said Schmidt-Kleinsasser, who carries a number of name-brand labels in stock. "Now more than ever, consumers are aware of the dollars they spend. At Take 2 Clothing, parents can come to shop for their kids and then buy things for themselves."

Schmidt-Kleinsasser explained that she's able to carry most items in her store for $5-$10 each, due to her nonexistent overhead. She also touted her selection of clothing items as a more environmentally friendly alternative to that of retail stores.

"Buying something secondhand means no new manufacturing resources have to be used," Schmidt-Kleinsasser said. "You can help create less landfills. Reduce, reuse and recycle — be a 'recessionista!'

"I grew up without a lot of money, so I got my clothes from thrift stores," she added. "Just because you might not have a lot doesn't mean you can't dress cute."

Contact Marysville Globe Reporter Adam Rudnick at arudnick@arlingtontimes.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5056.

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