Trunk & Disorderly Brings Hip Vintage To Worcester

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Lyor Dotan, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Fashionistas with a twist will love Trunk and Disorderly, a unique and funky consignment shop with a little something for everyone.

There is nothing more eco-friendly or wallet-friendly than shopping second-hand. At first glance, it might not sound as an exciting prospect for the fashionistas out there. But before you go experience a hundred-dollar loss on Newbury Street, consider consignment, particularly the unique and fashion forward Trunk and Disorderly consignment shop at downtown Worcester.

This consignment store not only has top brands at affordable prices, but also carries vintage items. Words to describe the place include super funky and one-of-a-kind, according to owner Ashley Troy. A plain white tee is not something you will find here. “Every type of clothing has to be different, has to have something pizzazz about it, some spunk to it,” she said. But there is something for everyone. From courthouse workers looking for a blazer or a piece of jewelry to add to their business attire, to people coming out of The Palladium looking to buy a pair of Chuck Taylors.

After working many years at consignment stores, Troy moved to Worcester from Boston and opened a shop of her own at her boyfriend, Patrick Scully of Tasty Skateboards's Pleasant Street skate shop, FYC. While FYC closed in late 2012, Ashley opened her new location downtown, in March of 2012. Since then it has been a busy and increasingly popular consignment shop full of clothes, knick-knacks, books, handmade art, skateboards, and more that changes daily and ships as far as California and Texas. Troy is constantly updating their social media platforms with photoshoots of models wearing different clothes in the store, orchestrating them from styling to photographing.

Selling your top-brand items at this store makes for a very good deal. While other stores will buy the piece for 40 or even 30 percent of the item's selling price, at Trunk and Disorderly it is a 50/50 deal. All sales to the store must be made by appointment and are paid once the item is purchased by a customer. According to Troy, it is better this way because most places that buy up front only pay the consignor 20 or 30 percent of what they think the item will sell for. When it comes to original artwork though, the deal is different. In this case, the artist gets a bigger percentage, while Troy only keeps a small commission for making the sale.

Troy might not be a Worcester native, but she loves having her business here. “I love everything about Worcester,” she says. “A smaller city has more appreciation for small businesses.” She is also constantly engaging with the community, having different events throughout the year. In the summertime, Trunk and Disorderly is getting their backyard ready to have an outdoor flea market, where people are invited to pay a small fee to sell their own stuff. Keep an eye open for it in late August.

Visit Trunk and Disorderly at 122 Main St., find them online at http://thetrunkanddisorderly.com, or visit their Facebook for updates on the latest items and events.