In a line of metal scaffolding and fairly bleak brick storefronts on Waltham’s Main Street, one stoop stands out. With its plum colored window awnings and the bright pink sign perched above double glass doors, it’s become increasingly hard to miss “Re/Chic,” a boutique style second-hand consignment store.

“Re/Chic” opened for business in August 2025, but the consignment store isn’t necessarily a new addition to the community. Before Re/Chic, the local non-profit “Neighbors Who Care,” whose mission was to alleviate isolation and loneliness among Waltham-area seniors, owned the shop to help fund their cause. When NWC had to close the shop after 10 years of business, one of their former volunteers decided to keep their vision of supporting the community alive.  

“It was very serendipitous,” explained Re/Chic owner Cassandra Falone in a March 28 interview with The Justice. “I used to volunteer [for NWC] as a social media manager to help promote the store and unfortunately last year they had to shut down the nonprofit and the executive director decided to retire.” 

When the former director mentioned that she was looking for someone to take over the storefront, Falone went home that evening and proposed the idea of opening her own store to her husband. Enthusiastically, he answered: “Why not?” 

Although the store was a new adventure for Falone, whose full time job is in medical communications, she explained that it has always been a dream for her to own a clothing shop. She said, “Secondhand shopping has kind of been a second love for me, and I knew what this store was to the community that it served.”

In recent years, thrifting and second hand shopping have skyrocketed in popularity, particularly among younger generations. According to an article published by National Public Radio in 2021, the rise in sustainable shopping is symptomatic of heightened consciousness surrounding the environmental impacts of mass-produced clothing, also referred to as fast fashion.

The term “fast fashion” was first used in a 1989 New York Times article titled, "Two New Stores That Cruise Fashion's Fast Lane,” which explored how two New York City stores were creating fashionable and affordable clothing that took just 15 days from design to retail. The two stores featured in the article were Zara and Express, which are now both massively popular worldwide and also major contributors to the growing global environmental crisis.

For Falone, sustainability is one of the several reasons that she and many others have become so invested in shopping secondhand. “I think I learn from a lot of thrifters here,” she said. “They've just become very intentional with how they spend their money, and thrifting is just a fun adventure … It's the thrill of the hunt.”

Beyond the fun wall ornaments and the carefully curated decor of Re/Chic, Falone does not want to lose sight of the original store's mission: Accessibility for the entire community. “I wanted this store to be approachable to anyone who walked through the doors,” she said. “Accessibility is a big factor. I love that we serve a variety of demographics here in our store and I try to be really respectful of everyone's budget.”

Falone explained that most consignment stores have items on the retail floor for about three to six months, and then the items are disposed of or donated elsewhere. In an attempt to prevent these items from going to waste, Re/Chic established partnerships with consignment stores in the area, allowing her to receive donations that are perfectly wearable but have surpassed their shelf life at second-hand stores elsewhere.

Additionally, Falone still offers a senior discount on Wednesdays and has recently begun implementing a 20% off student discount on Thursdays in order to bring in new people and retain old customers. 

Shopping aside, Re/Chic has also hosted community events in the past to help Waltham residents forge connections with one another. “We’re excited to create and develop nice partnerships with local community groups,” Falone emphasized. “We've hosted three craft events already, we're hosting a swap event at the end of April and we're just thinking of new ideas to engage with other like minded people who love thrifting as much as I do.”

Fashion may be the fun of Re/Chic, but at the forefront of the business is its dedication to community. According to Falone, a portion of each purchase is donated directly to Waltham based groups which in the past have included the Waltham Boys and Girls Club, which provides children with supervised after school care, The Community Day center, which supports unhoused individuals in Waltham including providing them with free clothing and many more organizations.

As a lifelong Waltham resident, Falone stressed that the community has been the reason that she’s been able to live her dream, which is why she has made it her mission to continue to give back to those who have supported her. “We're juggling a lot, but it's wonderful to have a very supportive ecosystem within the community who can kind of keep the doors open for people,” said Falone.

In the future, Falone hopes to expand her inventory and her hours of operation. Most importantly, however, she hopes that the community will continue to believe in her and engage meaningfully not only with the store but also with each other.