ModCloth, the vintage-inspired online clothing company, has recently branched out and opened its first physical store in the Washington D.C. area. The opening weekend included two days of festivities, offering customers prizes, gifts with purchase, and live music.
ModCloth gained a huge and dedicated fan base by offering a range of unique and playful vintage-inspired styles designed for all body types. Last year, the online business was acquired by Walmart, which worried longtime customers who thought the inventiveness that first drew them to ModCloth might be discarded for styles with mass market appeal.
According to The Washingtonian, the new store doesn’t stock inventory like a traditional retailer. Instead, it’s a hybrid service. Stylists will be on hand to assist customers in trying on different pieces, and then if shoppers want to purchase, they can do so online at an in-store station, a tactic that has become popular with fashion companies to entice younger customers back to retail stores. All purchased items include free shipping directly to the customer’s home. ModCloth sizes run from XXS to 4X.
ModCloth is also offering items from local D.C. designers, like Freres Branchiaum candles, jewelry from Heorth, and enamel pins from Shiny Apple Studio. These items are available in-store for immediate purchase.
Earlier this year, ModCloth launched its “Say it Louder” campaign with celebrities Awkwafina, Raveena, and Mary Lambert. The stars shared their favorite looks, and were featured wearing various outfits available for purchase on ModCloth. The campaign was designed to appeal to its loyal customers, and emphasized female individuality and self-expression.
“I hope to inspire people simply by existing," Lambert said in the campaign. "I almost feel like an anomaly because, not only was I accepted for being queer and fat and bipolar, I’ve been encouraged to talk openly about these things. So I guess my identity feels political already without even having to say anything about it.”
ModCloth was one of the first online retailers to celebrate diversity in fashion, creating cutting-edge looks for all body types. This was especially compelling to women customers, who were looking for more style choices than the average cookie-cutter retail store provided.
The D.C. store opened its doors on August 10th, and ModCloth plans to open two more in New York and Los Angeles by the end of the year. The brand already has physical stores in Austin and San Francisco.
