b'wereinCOVID,theyrewaitinginWe are more transient. line, Gordon notes.Still,whenCOVIDstruck,the The brilliance of the concept behindimpactwassignificant.Thatreally The Gypset was to offer another choice.changed the face of retail, she says. We say this is the new way to shop. Perlow-Greenewasdoingalotof The mobile fashion storecompleteonline services, like making videos for with private dressing roomswould gocustomerstobrowsethroughduring directly to clients, often driving to sev- the lockdown. That worked out well, eral appointments a day. While that isshe says. But things have changed, and still a part of the experience, the busi- I am changing my business too. nesshasmorphedintosomethingStarting in March, Retail Therapy completely unexpected, Gordon says,willbeinasmaller,moreintimate notingthatthecompanynowdoesshowroom in South Oranges Village a lot of hybrid events for charities asPlaza, where shopping will be done inPerlow-Greene poses with Jocelyn Taylor, a consignor and client who is wearing a well as shopping parties for groups ofprivate, by appointment only. jacket from Retail Therapy.friends. Changecanbestartling,andthis The appeal is more than the excite- Gordon is a stylist who is happy to helphas been difficult news for some of Retail Therapys devotees. Customers have her clients find some great pieces or sim-ment of something different. We areply let them shop the racks themselves. been saddened to hear the storefront in Maplewood is closing, but Perlow-saving you time. We are coming to you.Greene wants her fashion-forward customers to embrace the change. Its go-You dont even have to leave your home! And you dont have to worry about return- ing to morph into a different type of ing anything, because its instant gratification. We bring the dressing rooms as itsbusiness. Its changing and evolving, all direct to the consumer. but there are a lot of opportunities. For anyone who has ever waited to return an ill-fitting pair of pants, TheAnd even though a door is closing Gypset is the answer. and, let me tell you, Im sad not to be there with the storefrontI think The Fabric of the Community Will See You Now that when one door closes, some very Yet what about the beloved brick and mortar boutiques, the ones with friendlyinteresting ones open.owners and scenes reminiscent of the Cheers gang shouting Norm! wheneverThe new location will offer her cli-patrons enter? One such stylish shop is closing its doors in March and evolvingents a more personalized experience, into something new. wheretheywillhavemoretimeto Julie Perlow-Greene has owned and operated Retail Therapy, an eclectic, styl- find pieces that work for their style, ish shop with vintage and consignment pieces, for six years. She started in Southfind sizes to flatter their fit, and, as al-Orange before moving to her locationways, it will offer more opportunitiesPerlow-Greene wears a vintage hat in the heart of downtown Maplewood,for Perlow-Greene to provide an em- brought in by a consignor and holiday where shes gotten to know her shop- patheticpresence.Itsaboutdraw- sparkle pants. She carries an array of sparkly clothes for events or for clients persstories,fromtheMaplewoodingouttheirvisionofthemselves,who simply love to shine. Middle school girls who shop her storeshe says. Getting them to talk about after the school bell rings, to the momswhat they are looking for and making them feel comfortable chatting about who come in looking for that perfecttheir life. I hope they leave with their mood uplifted.high school reunion dress.For Retail Therapy, the shopping experience will feel fresh, yet similar. She Perlow-Greene is not your typicalknows that part of the delight of finding that perfect outfit is in the experience storeowner.Aclinicalpsychologistof discovering it. People still want to touch and feel, to try things on, and this withadoctorate,shepracticedforwill still be a place for that.12 years before shifting her focus toWhilemanystrugglewiththepaceof fashion. With Retail Therapy, namedchangetoo slow, too fast, the new rushing as a nod to her background, Perlow- in, the comfort of yesterday slipping away Greeneusesherempathyandcon- Perlow-Greene uses her background as a all can still delight in the ways in which siderable listening skills to get to theclinical psychologist in her work with herthecommunityevolves.Lookclosely,and heart of how her shoppers see them- retail clients. the new experiences and new ways of doing selves. When I dress people, I think about their authentic self, and how to makethings become a glimpse into the future.a better version of themselves. Retail Therapy became a much-loved boutique inJustlikestandinginfrontofafitting town, a place for people to both look and feel good. room mirror, you are seeing both the present As her store became embedded in the community, Perlow-Greene observedand the future at once. For Perlow-Greene, the ways in which retail was changing. Consignment was getting to be big,she will be there for her customers to en-because people do care about sustainable style and not just buying a bunch ofhance what they like with a little flairits a things. It became a big thing with the younger crowd. And its more economicallot of honoring where they are at. And, ofyou can sell your own stuff and then buy things. Another thing that becamecourse, where they will be tomorrow. big was renting things, she adds.Retail Therapy will relocate to theSaraCourtneyisawriterlivingin Ultimately, she notes young people do not want to be committed to a ward- second floor of 15 Village Plaza inMaplewood.South Orange. Shopping will be by robe. Social media changed that. People dont want to be seen in the same outfits.appointment only.feature story /33'