Urban Butterfly – Caterpillar with an Edge
February 2, 2010 by jesy
Filed under All Mixed Up, Latest Articles
Every January 1, the new year brings a slew of books, articles and advice about how to keep your resolutions. The packaging may be new, but the resolutions, and tips on how to keep them, never really change: save money, stop smoking, but mostly, lose weight.
Clearly, these are not entirely altruistic ventures. I’m sure the chick from The Biggest Loser really does want you to drop 20 pounds… right after you buy her books and weight loss pills. The amount of money spent on these remedies is mind boggling (even on tips to spend less, which never ceases to amaze me), but the cost of success can get out of hand if you’re dropping pounds too fast for your pants to keep up.
If you’re fortunate enough to be in this predicament, and happen to live in Chicago, Mandi Garcia has a solution in the form of Urban Butterfly, a specialty resale store targeting plus-sized women. Garcia’s dramatic weight loss, chronicled on “My Big Fat Blog,” left her in need of a new wardrobe every 2 months. When she tried to find resale clothes in her new sizes she discovered that no stores carried them. So she built a store that would. And on February 1, she opened up shop in Logan Square.
But Garcia is not just about the fashion and fitness; her store aims to be a cultural hub for people of all sizes. With plenty of space, she will feature work from local artist on her Tiffany blue walls and help the artists sell their pieces. Local jewelry makers have already signed on to feature their work in her store. She’s also got space for a small stage and plans on opening her storefront and countertops to neighborhood musicians to play and sell CDs. Urban Butterfly will be an all-around support center for the local scene.
Even the hipster dudes of Logan are coming out…
Opening a new store during the Great Recession is no easy task, but with her amazing successes and growing fan base to support her, it’s safe to say that Garcia is going to do just fine. And judging by the opening gala on January 28th, it’s definitely going to be a fun to watch.
*By Jesy, who is really tired of that chick from The Biggest Loser trying to take her money with those scary abs.
