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Caramia’s Reloved Fashion to offer high end fashion at reasonable prices

PHOTO PROVIDED Local State Farm Insurance agent Cara Montarsi is preparing to open Caramia’s Reloved Fashion in downtown Lock Haven this month. Above, the inside of the new high-end fashion thrift store is pictured. At left is the Caramia’s logo.

LOCK HAVEN — A high end thrift store will soon be the new addition to the downtown Lock Haven boutique scene.

Caramia’s Reloved Fashion, soon-to-be owned and operated by local State Farm Insurance agent Cara Montarsi, will offer second-hand women’s clothing, shoes and purses/handbags. Montarsi wants to offer the community an alternative option to retail shopping.

“It is going to be a second-hand women’s clothing store — more upscale than the other thrift stores,” said Montarsi. “We want to offer the public another option to retail. I feel like there is a lot of fast fashion where we impulse buy things that we don’t necessarily end up wearing.”

With a higher-end style thrift store, Montarsi wants to have the quality clothing people want at a financially stable price. With current cost hikes for retail standards, Caramia’s will offer quality at an affordable price.

“We want to be able to offer clothes that have a lot more life in them to the general public without having to pay for retail. Because everybody is trying to find savings in any they can right now with the cost of everything going up so high,” Montarsi said.

PHOTOS PROVIDED Local State Farm Insurance agent Cara Montarsi is preparing to open Caramia’s Reloved Fashion in downtown Lock Haven this month.

The 1,000-square foot store will be located in the Penny Lane Mini Mall along East Main Street. The space will also have a back door to Willard’s Alley, by The Old Corner, for easy parking accessibility.

“I’m excited for the location just because it’s right downtown and there is also a new coffee shop going in across the hall (Brew Haven),” Montarsi said.

Caramia’s is, so far, planned to open during the third week of July. Montarsi said she will hold a special VIP event with friends and family invited, as well as anyone who is part of her Facebook page.

The grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony will be held following the VIP event with Clinton County Economic Partnership and Downtown Lock Haven, Inc.

Montarsi has been actively interviewing possible employees for the thrift store with already “two to three good candidates.”

The store will operate part-time at first from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

“If I can expand, I’ll do that,” she said. “I want to offer a higher wage than normal … obviously with the times that we are in.”

With her position with the Clinton County Housing Coalition and Roads to Peace, Montarsi wants to be able to offer more employment/benefit opportunities in the community through them.

“This is all new to me. I never thought in a million years I would be opening a retail location,” she said. “Hopefully, this is going to be fun after all of the work is done. The space is coming along — right now it is a lot of work.”

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