I sat down with Mary Jacobs, founder of Mary’s Rack to talk about style, sustainability, and running an independent retail business in New Orleans. We discussed her journey, her approach to curating the shop, and what makes her store such a distinctive part of the local fashion scene. You can find her shop tucked in an alleyway at 8128 Oak Street.
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Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what originally inspired you to open Mary’s Rack?
I am a born and raised New Orleanian and I’ve been thrifting since I was a kid, I’ve had a front row seat to just what you can find secondhand. And it’s pretty much anything you can imagine! From modern trends to unique vintage pieces I really do believe that anything you want you can find secondhand.
I actually started as a secondhand stylist helping folks to find their style, in a more sustainable way by thrifting for them. I loved it, however, I really couldn’t keep up with the demand! Definitely a good problem to have. The store was a response to my waitlist of folks who wanted to work with me, it’s a way for people to still shop with my Curation on a larger scale.
Mary’s rack is actually my second business. In 2016 my wife and I opened a gym in Metairie called vitality community fitness. In a way both of these businesses share a mission of building people up through something that can often be vulnerable. I always want folks to leave my shop or a workout feeling better than when they came.
When you’re choosing pieces for the shop, what catches your eye first? How much of the store reflects your personal taste versus what you know customers are looking for?
I think a massive part of the store reflects my personal taste, and not just because I often move my own pieces through the shop as well. The thing is, I love clothes, I love unique styles, so it’s easy to say the store represents my style because I really do have very many styles! But I tend to sell unique bold pieces. I like to say “I sell things that you will get complimented on.”
How do trends factor into your buying decisions, or do you try to stay somewhat timeless in your curation?
I’d say, of course, I know trends and I keep up with them, but I’m not on the hunt for them. I like to push my clients to find their unique styles regardless of what might be trending. When I’m sourcing for the store, I’m focused on quality, cut, and style. I’ve had thousands of garments pass through my hands, so at some point you just start to know instinctively that it’s a special piece. And while I try to avoid fast fashion, I will occasionally source these pieces for my thrift area of the store! Because at least if I can offer another life before they ultimately wind up in a landfill somewhere, I’m happy to provide more space to divert.
Who do you see as your core customers—locals, students, tourists, or a mix?
I have a really great mix of customers. Of course I always want more students because they are right down the street and I do think that my shop is a great place to find stylish pieces at a great price! When I was a student I exclusively thrifted and I always dreamed about offering a space where others can find special pieces that they treasure. But I do get a lot of tourists surprisingly and I can almost always tell that they’re tourists by what they’re wearing! I tend to tease them a little and let them know that they should buy something a little bit more flamboyant for their New Orleans vacation and beyond! And of course I have an incredible amount of returning regulars that make my shop tick. I even have a club through Patreon folks that support me all year round. It’s called the rack club, these are my most regular regulars. We go thrift together, do workshops about clothing, care, and generally learn more about living more sustainably while being community with each other. It’s pretty fun and I feel lucky to have such a supportive group of friends and fans
Is there an item you’ve sold that you still think about?
A couple of years ago, I was asked to style Vampire Weekend for jazz fest. I have a private collection of all the Vintage jazz fest button downs! And while I never sold them, people do want to buy them from me, especially since they’ve been worn by Vampire Weekend now!
What makes New Orleans a unique place to run an independent retail business, especially as a woman, both the joys and the challenges?
I feel like I have a great advantage running a small business in New Orleans because I was born and raised here and I married a woman also from here! Because New Orleans really is a small town it is easy to know a lot of people. So I have been very blessed to have had many friends as my first clients! I think the main challenge I face having a business in New Orleans is not that I’m in competition with other businesses, but rather I’m in competition with New Orleans itself which is an incredibly busy and fun city to live in! There’s always something going on here so sometimes on slower days I have to look at the calendar and ask myself what festivals, shows or games are that day. Got to give myself some slack when my shop is in the city as fun as New Orleans!
When you think about what’s next for the shop, what feels most exciting to you right now?
I love what I do so much. I think fashion and personal style should be accessible to all and it’s why I love secondhand. Last year I was able to expand my shop and now in addition to my curated shop, I have added a $10 room. It’s a real mix of things you can find in there, some of it is stuff that I’ve discounted from the main store, sometimes it’s pieces out of season, occasionally it’s more fast fashion stuff or it could be things that need a little bit of work but are otherwise high-quality. Adding the thrift room is really just the beginning of my bigger mission. I dream about having a store that can be both a thrift and a more curated secondhand store. My space right now is pretty small so we are just testing the waters and only just getting started! But I have so many plans for Mary’s Rack and I know that in time I’ll see them through.
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