A few years ago, we decided that in order to evolve S&S into the feminine lifestyle brand that we dreamed it could be, we needed to offer more categories than vintage jewelry. We would get so many questions about where a top or dress we wore on Instagram was from so, it was no surprise that clothing was the next natural category for us to launch.
Aside from our mutual love for vintage jewelry, Emilee and I would often spend hours over lunch talking about our recent online clothing finds, which typically resulted in both of us purchasing the same items! Shopping has always felt like a hunt for the both of us. Why do brands over think their designs and forget to offer the perfect basics?
Both of our wardrobes are a mix of high and low, vintage and new, and neither one of us are loyal to any one particular designer or brand. We know that even in an over saturated clothing market, there are still so many women like us, struggling to find timeless and special pieces under $200. In order to bring our feminine aesthetic to life, we wanted to style our vintage jewelry collection the way that we loved to wear them, with sweaters and tops that had pretty details, whether it be flared sleeves, luxe fabrics, ruffles or bows. While our first collection had all of that and more, it was (and still is) challenging to find high quality pieces that are on par with the craftsmanship of our vintage jewelry collection.
While my background is in merchandising, this was my first experience venturing into wholesale buying. Thanks to a few good girlfriends, also in the industry, (@sjg1130 & @megantopliff, love you), I pieced together how the wholesale buying process worked and a few months prior to launching our first collection, borrowed another friends car (@everydayeryn, love you too!) to drive down to LA for market week. I wasn’t able to make any appointments before the show because I didn’t have any brand contacts. So when I got there, I blindly walked into each showroom I was interested in and introduced S&S and myself and explained what we were trying to build. From there, the relationships blossomed naturally, we’ve now carried over 25 different brands!
And just like that, we’re now into our 3rd fall season and while we’re still learning about the intricacies of buying wholesale clothing and discovering new brands to carry, we could not love every piece we’ve bought over the years any more than we do. Our signature style has become a chic top, our favorite pair of Levi’s denim and an incredible pair of statement earrings. Getting dressed should be fun! We believe that your closet should be like your jewelry collection, filled with pieces that you love and treasure for many years to come.
