I Am Clothesminded Vintage Boutique Offers Open-Minded Approach to Style

As more aspiring fashionistas get into vintage and resale clothing, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to gently worn fashion. However, one has to readily embrace "the dig," be it through dusty, over-crammed racks or endless scrolls on sites like Grailed, TheRealReal and Poshmark.

And then there's I Am Clothesminded Vintage. The new boutique in Richardson, which opened its doors three weeks ago, takes a clean, curated approach to selling clothes and accessories from decades past.

In the bright, mod-inspired interior, you'll find well-organized racks of denim, jackets, dresses and band tees, along with stylish shelving displaying everything from bags by Prada and Gucci to incredible '70s shearling jackets. Each piece has plenty of space to breathe, making snagging that once-in-a-lifetime piece a lot more effortless and fun.

The longtime dream project of owner Jill Morrow Titus, the shop is the result of a decades-long obsession with thrifting. The entrepreneur started her vintage collection in her early teens, picking up 1950s styles to create her aesthetic.

"I had a sister that was nine years older than me, and I started thrifting with her in the '80s when you could actually go to Goodwill and find good stuff," she says. "The '50s were popular, and Madonna was popular, but you couldn't go to the store and find that. I continued to do that during high school because I liked having a unique look."

Upon graduating from Lake Highlands High School in 1993, Morrow Titus initially took a different path, becoming an occupational therapist. Throughout the years, she never stopped buying. Initially, it was for herself, but when she outgrew her closets she took to selling at Dolly Python and on eBay and Etsy.

"I'm not going to pass up a cool thing if it's not my size," Morrow Titus says. "I kind of kept doing it in the background. I had a storage space with bins and bins of these clothes, and I'd sell them at Poshmark or do pop-ups with friends. I was a crazy person buying stuff, but I finally got to this point in my life where I'm not getting any younger and I thought, 'I could actually do this.' I love antique malls, but I wanted something more curated where you can come in, and it felt clean and nice, and you could easily see what size things were."

She began refining the concept last April, deciding on Richardson for its dearth of exciting boutiques and bohemian, small-town vibe. Ultimately, she landed on a light-filled former yoga studio upstairs at the Promenade North shopping center on Coit Road, which was recently taken over by the same management company that brought The Hill shopping center back to life.

"We lived in Richardson for a long time, and I think there are a lot of creative, artsy people here, and there's not anything like the [shop] around," she says. "We get busy with life and family and kids, and I don't always have time to go to Oak Cliff or even lower Greenville to some of the other vintage shops, so I hope it fills a niche. I just like Richardson — it feels like a small town, it's very community-based, and the people are very welcoming."

Luckily, her husband, John Titus, is handy and understood the groovy aesthetic his wife was looking for when building out the space. The couple started collecting mid-century furnishings, and Titus built the fixtures and painted the vibrant Kate Moss mural that adorns the wall.

"John draws, so he drew out the plans for the space, and we decided where we wanted the etagere with the purses to go and the counter to go," says Morrow Titus. "We have a friend who does merchandising for Neiman Marcus, so we had him walk through to make sure it is easily shoppable."
The "playful, fun" interior perfectly suits the stock, which ranges from luxurious designer finds (a Gucci clutch in mint condition sells for $895) to affordable, giftable items (a dish of sterling rings at $25 a pop). Clothesminded excels in amazing graphic tees ($48 to $98), cutoff denim and cowboy boots, but Morrow Titus also focuses on the Y2K and '90s styles beloved by her 20-year-old daughter, who works at the store. There's even a small menswear area, though the owner envisions most pieces as having a genderless appeal.

Although she has an entire container of vintage waiting for its turn at the shop, Morrow Titus is still on the hunt, especially for larger-sized shoes and clothing to suit her growing clientele. She still makes road trips to East Texas and Oklahoma, house visits and estate sales. Already offering mimosas (both traditional and AF) on Saturday and Sunday, she's looking forward to staying open a little later on Thursday, maybe throwing a party with a DJ to keep the community vibes going.

"We're trying to figure out a way where we can do a coffee set up with breakfast tacos," she says. "We have lots of ideas, but I wanted to open first to see if people are into it."

However Clothesminded evolves in the coming months, it's already been a dream come true for its passionate owner.

"Every day when I come in early to make sure everything is presentable," says Morrow Titus. "I'm like, 'This is my shop?!' It's still that pinch-me moment."

I Am Clothesminded Vintage, 670 N. Coit Road, No. 2381, Richardson. Noon – 6 p.m., Wednesday – Sunday.