North Strabane boutique changes ownership
Books at Vintage Grace Boutique are courtesy of a partnership with local independent curator and publisher Oxford Comma Books and More. The collection features unique authors alongside more contemporary reads.
Courtesy of Vintage Grace Boutique
Top: Books are a new, recent addition. Carl plans to continue to feature new products, including her own custom-made jewelry line, Illustrious by Becca. Courtesy of Vintage Grace Boutique
Boutique manager Katrina Andrews, left, and new owner Becca Carl pose in some of the boutique’s fall styles.
Courtesy of Vintage Grace Boutique
Right: Vintage Grace Boutique is at 900 Wildflower Cir. in the shopping plaza that also houses Planet Fitness in North Strabane Courtesy of Vintage Grace Boutique
Becca Carl has spent nearly all of her 25-year career in beauty. On Aug. 4, she took ownership of Vintage Grace Boutique in North Strabane Township, marking her first venture into the clothing boutique business.
“I’d been searching and looked into starting a business a couple of years ago, but the timing wasn’t right,” Carl said. When the former owners of Vintage Grace decided to sell the boutique, Carl and her partner Carole DeAngelo, advertising director at the Observer-Reporter, were interested. “The original owners built an amazing business, and we actually share a lot of the same philosophy and kind of the same aesthetic. I thought, ‘this is it. This feels right.’ And it’s in our community,” Carl said. Former owners Lauren Lista-Dzadony and her husband Adam opened the boutique in 2013. At one point, Vintage Grace had a presence in Dormont and Coraopolis but condensed during the pandemic to just the Washington store, tucked in the Planet Fitness plaza near Crazy Horse Coffee.
While different from cosmetics, Carl believes clothing and accessories are another extension of beauty and a way she can positively impact women. For the past ten years, she was a general manager for Ulta Beauty. “I really loved my career. I love empowering women, and for me, it’s really never been about ‘oh, here’s some makeup, or a salon, and you’re going to feel better.’ Literally, for me, a journey for a woman’s self-worth starts on the inside. I was able to work with my people and my team and help empower them.” She brings that same energy to Vintage Grace: “I’ll get to impact women. I’ve always worked better when I’ve had the autonomy to dig into my innermost ‘me,’ and I thought, what better avenue?”
The boutique has long been known for its soft boho styles with an edgy flair. Carl has remained in that same genre but added her own “edge.” “I love soft styles, and I love to pair them with unexpected things, like lace with something distressed.” She creates some of those pieces herself as part of her own jewelry collection, “Illustrious by Becca.” “I curate things that I think are going to fit well and that customers look for,” said Carl. An example would be an upcycled luxury piece that might include mixed metals paired with leather from Gucci or Louis Vuitton.
Even Carl’s career reflects that soft/edgy combination. After high school, she became a trained lab technician with the United States Army Reserves. When she returned from San Antonio to Washington County after her training, a friend asked her to help out with a makeup event, a “big to-do,” Carl said, that turned out to be the professional team for Revlon responsible for Cindy Crawford’s makeup. After that event, in 1994, she began working for the luxury division of Revlon and traveled with the professional team. “That’s where I received my training,” Carl said.
During the next four years, she traveled the eastern side of the United States from New York to Virginia for the cosmetic company. She became a business manager for Estee Lauder and worked for L’oreal and then Ulta. With Vintage Grace, she said it’s “finally my opportunity to share all that I can do.”
Existing boutique manager Katrina Andrews continues in her position under the new ownership. Carl and Andrews travel to different markets to purchase merchandise, “that’s the fun and exciting part,” said Carl. “We also have some really great vendors that we work with over the phone and online to curate looks that fit our brand,” she said. Andrews also owns a permanent jewelry business called Sempre, which is offered through the boutique.
Often the term “boutique” can be viewed as being exclusive or catering to smaller sizes, but Carl explains that she offers sizes from small up to 3X from vendors. “It’s really not about the size,” Carl said. She encourages patrons to let her staff help pick the styles. “I want to promote body positivity. There’s no perfect size. I want to promote what makes you feel good.”
And there’s no “typical” customer, said Carl. Women from their 20s through 70s and beyond who want something unique that sets them apart will find something at Vintage Grace. Typical price points range from $20 to $100.
To make shopping even more enjoyable, Carl plans to have monthly events. Some past events include a pop-up with a book store, a florist and charity events.
Following the bookstore pop-up, Carl said she partnered with bookseller Oxford Comma Books and More, owned by Amy Hrutkay and curated an entire wall in the boutique of books from independent authors. “Katrina and I are passionate readers, and we plan to start a book club. Whether you want to educate yourself about something or just escape, we have something for you (on the wall),” she said.
For September, Vintage Grace paired with Ronald McDonald House Charities to present “Cocktails with a Cause” on Sept. 22, benefitting the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Additional plans call for small boutique “experiences” and events for bridal parties, co-workers or friends who want to have a private shopping experience and enjoy refreshments, which can be arranged by contacting the boutique.
The boutique’s new hours are Monday through Wednesday, Friday Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursdays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Vintage Grace is located at 900 Wildflower Circle in Washington, Pa. For more information, visit vintagegraceboutique.com or call 724-416-3485.