Every girl gets a case of the wardrobe blues from time to time. In college, there was such an easy fix – just pop over to the neighboring closet and borrow something from your roommate. For Alpharetta native Jayna Thompson, the solution was a suitcase belonging to her friend Alexis during a study abroad trip to the South Pacific. Whenever she was dissatisfied with her own selection of clothing, she’d just go “shopping” in Alexis’ suitcase. 

But what is a fashionista to do in those post-collegiate years, without the safety net of someone else’s duds when faced with the dilemma of “nothing to wear?” Just do what Thompson did – take a look in Alexis’ Suitcase.

Aware of the stigma that typically accompanies consignment, Thompson set out to prove that her store could be fashion-forward instead of frumpy when she opened the first location of Alexis’ Suitcase in Sandy Springs in 2005. By accepting only mall-brand or better clothing that is less than 2 years old, the consignment boutique is able to offer shoppers trendy attire at discounted prices.

The system works like this: Consignors bring in good condition clothing they no longer want, and a team of fashionable and friendly sales associates determine if the items fit Alexis’ Suitcase’s standards. If so, the clothes go out of the floor at “full” (yet still discounted from retail) price for 24 days before they are marked down 25 or 50 percent. When an item sells, the consignor gets 40 to 75 percent of the profits, depending on the item’s value. If you want, the store will donate any clothing they cannot accept along with anything that doesn’t sell after 75 days to local charities like Step Up Society and Keenan Kids Foundation. It’s a win-win situation – consignors make some money on clothes that would otherwise gather dust in the closet and shoppers find great deals on all sorts of desirable brands, from Anne Taylor, The Limited and Arden B. to designer labels like Citizens of Humanity, Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs.

And the model is working especially well in today’s economy, when fashionistas are more frugal with their clothing budgets and more likely to consign quality items they’ve grown tired of in order to make a little extra cash. With a second location in Johns Creek that opened last April, Alexis Suitcase carries a total of approximately 10,000 women’s clothing items at any given time, and receives new merchandise each and every day, up to 1,000 new items per week. Here, you’ll find everything from tops, pants, jeans, dresses, skirts, shoes handbags, jewelry and a variety of accessories to suit any style. The average top costs $20, though you can find jewelry as low as $5 and designer items like Chanel handbags that sell for $1,200 – still significantly less expensive than the original retail price. And with items organized by type and color, plus “Yes,” “No,” and “Maybe” hangers in the fitting rooms, shopping here is a breeze. You could easily spend hours combing the racks, or be in and out on a lunch break like I was, with a spring-worthy pink shirt-dress by Bebe (for about a third of retail price) in tow.

As if the discounts aren’t deep enough, Alexis Suitcase is quickly approaching its annual anniversary sale on April 17. Celebrating 5 years in Sandy Springs and 1 year in Johns Creek, both locations will feature lots of price slashing for the special occasion, but head to Sandy Springs for the big birthday bash, complete with a free gift with purchase, food, beverages and local vendors.

Alexis’ Suitcase
7878-G Roswell Road
Sandy Springs
770-390-0010

5805-I State Bridge Road
Johns Creek
770-813-1883

www.alexissuitcase.com