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Mesh Boutique Profile

Nestled on the main floor of a renovated frat house on John Street, two sisters are redefining the retail experience. This is Mesh Boutique — a consignment store. But don’t be mistaken, Mesh isn’t anything like your typical Value Village. It’s chic, sleek, vintage and, most importantly, affordable. The process is simple. Customers bring in their clothing and once it’s sold, they get 40 per cent of the profit. But the Mesh sisters hold high standards — they’ll only take “gently used” clothes and are conscious of the brands they sell. While the vintage consignment store has been around for three years, Barrie natives Colleen and Diane Burns took it over about eight months ago. The pair have always been interested in fashion and were given the opportunity to take over the store thanks to a class Diane took while completing her business management and organizational studies degree at Western. “I was in a small business course and had to make a business plan, and my business plan was to open a second-hand clothing store,” Diane explains. “I came into Mesh to get the details about how things worked and the owner at the time was awesome. I told her, ‘If you’re ever selling this place, let me know.’” But Diane hardly expected to get a call a half hour after her final exam. Three months later Diane and her sister had taken over the store and the two are putting their own vintage spin on the items they sell. “We’re both second-hand and vintage shoppers,” Colleen says. “We definitely steer clear from the malls. We’re always looking for something a little bit different, and that’s something we definitely want to portray in Mesh.” Diane and Colleen are out to make sure their customers don’t have a normal shopping experience as they browse the racks. They’ll play the music you want, will help you put together an outfit, and have even been known to cook for their customers. Just last month the girls served wine and homemade chili as part of their customer appreciation week. All their efforts go into making the store, and the shopping experience it provides, unique — something they think is reflected in the clothing as well. “I think more people are interested in vintage because people, especially young females, are realizing they want to be their own individual person and are realizing they don’t need to wear Lululemon pants or UGG boots to fit in,” Diane reflects. “It’s exciting because people are actually trying to look good and be their own person. And you can still do that with a budget of a student, and that’s what we’re trying to show.” And while the process of going through vintage clothing might be a bit more time consuming, it’s all worth it in the long run. “When you find that one thing that’s perfect, you’re so much more excited about the purchase,” Diane says. “The process is a lot more fun,” Colleen agrees. “You don’t get the big box feeling of being in the mall. You’re in a quaint little store and we’re fun girls to shop with.” Details Location: 204 John Street Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. Phone: 519-913-4440 Email: meshboutique.london@gmail.com

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