MILWAUKEE — Some people wear the same clothes for years because they just can’t part with their favorite pair of jeans, or maybe a lucky shirt.
Others find hidden treasures from a trunk in a family attic. These are the types of clothing items that Andrea Dolter and Nathan Fleege sell at their antique clothing store.
The store, “To Hell and Back,” is located in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood.
Dolter and Fleege find a lot of the items they rehabilitate at estate sales. After the repairs are done, they sell them at their store.
They also have clients who bring in old or vintage clothing that needs to be fixed.
“Clothes we wear go through hell and with the clothing repair that I do, we try to bring them back, revive them, give them new life,” said Dolter.
The store opened about a month ago. Fleege said he loves the nostalgic look of the old clothing, but said saving the ecosystem is also top of mind.
“A lot of new clothing is made with non-natural materials, which do not disintegrate. People are very conscious about throwing Styrofoam away, but they should probably be just as considerate when they are purchasing their clothing,” said Fleege.
Fleege said many new materials that clothing is made of will be in landfills for just as long as the Styrofoam.
Fleege said it’s important to keep old clothing alive and find new owners for pieces that have been tossed or forgotten.
“We could go the rest of our lives without another piece of new clothing ever being made and have more than enough clothing to go around,” said Fleege.
