Photography by Ann White
Izzy Polanco, Restyled by Izzy
Izzy Polanco
Izzy Polanco has worn multiple hats since moving to St. Louis in 2013 by way of New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Florida. A native of the Dominican Republic, she’s done closet edits, worked as a fashion stylist, sold vintage clothes online and, until COVID forced her to “put it on the back burner,” dipped her toes into the world of high-end designer rentals.
She is now the owner of a new clothing boutique–Restyled by Izzy–where she specializes in vintage resale, consignment items, and on-trend garments that she buys from clothing auctions, saving much of the inventory from ending up in a landfill or being donated to large thrift stores that might offload them to other countries. The shop is stocked with beautiful garments in a range of styles: A white cotton dress with a sweetheart neckline and puff sleeves. A silk floral lingerie top with sash that can be restyled as a dress, worn as a kimono with pants, or under a tailored blazer. “I’m not a big floral person," says Polanco, "but this print is pretty special." There’s also a plus-size mini-dress with a corset top that she could see a client wearing to a baby shower or to a courthouse wedding.
The ethos here is to revel in the reuse of items. Many of the clothes Polanco plans to carry aren’t necessarily sustainable. “The sustainability part comes from buying it over and over and over again,” she says. “If I’ve already worn a piece, and I know that I'm not going to use it again, why not just bring it to a consignment store or a resale shop, get some money, and somebody else can use it?”
On the day of our interview, Polanco is dressed as cool as ever in a high-low mix of Juan Carlos Obando, Zara, and Jimmy Choo oxford loafers, all purchased secondhand. Here, the fashion pro shares more about the new business with us.
Photography by Ann White
Restyled by Izzy
Restyled by Izzy is located at 2610 Cherokee Street
What can shoppers expect to find at Restyled by Izzy?
I want the shop to be comfortable, to feel like you just walked into a living room with vintage touches but also modern [pieces] because that's very much who I am. As far as what you're going to find shopping, I think it’s a variety of things. I’ll have a lot of modern inventory but also [clothes] for anybody that comes in here that appreciates unique pieces like vintage. I think that I’ll want to have a little bit for everybody and in all sizes. If something speaks to me, I’ll carry it.
Where do you buy your inventory?
I got connected to an auction house and that auction house connected me to Revolve, so you're going to be familiar with a lot of the brands that are here. And, then, consignment. I’ll be working with local vendors to help me curate a good selection of vintage pieces. I want those pieces to be unique. I want to be selective with what's in here. I don't want people to get overwhelmed by my inventory.
Photography by Ann White
Restyled by Izzy
How did you find those auction houses?
Initially, I wanted to do rentals of very high-end designer [clothes]. I wanted to be a curator of designer items, however, I realized that that is a very expensive venture. I was on my way, collecting pieces, but COVID happened and I had to put that on the back burner. But I needed to make money, so I was doing closet edits. But, then, people weren’t letting anyone into their homes and I had to pivot; I had to find inventory. Through research, a lot of trial and error, I ordered inventory from other websites, and it didn't turn out to be a good fit. And then I came across auction houses. It was trial and error and it was costly. But I finally found my source. It's an investment and you need to have a resale license to bid.
Photography by Ann White
Izzy Polanco, Restyled by Izzy
Izzy Polanco
Who are some of the local vendors that you're working with to curate vintage items?
PASO Collection… She's got a great eye for vintage, is very minimalist, and she also has a lot of antique pieces. One of the reasons that I want to work with her is because she is big on repurposing but also fixing things. I love that. Leyla’s Kloset, she's got great style. I love how she styles the vintage pieces that she sources. Linda Katz…she’s in fashion. I met her recently and she's been so supportive of my business. She's bringing some of her vintage purses. I’ve also spoken to Ethical Bodies for collaboration with my plus-size inventory. Being size inclusive is something that I’ve focused on for a while.
How did you decide on this particular space in this neighborhood?
I looked everywhere. I drove at all hours of the day to the places I thought I wanted to have a space. I think Webster Groves was my main focus when I thought of a brick and mortar but it just didn't feel right. And somebody said to me, “You should try Cherokee Street.” I've always known about Cherokee. I, however, did not know about the history and I didn’t know about the resale community that's down here. But I think driving my decision was that I spoke with one of the Cherokee Street leaders, and she told me that the Mexican community kept the neighborhood thriving during the pandemic. Being Latina, I wanted to be with my people. It's not about if but when I make it, I want to be able to say that I was with my people when I started out.
