Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey into sustainable fashion?
A. My name is Natalie Long, founder and owner of Second Time’s the Charm Thrift and Florals. I am from San Diego California originally but have lived in Waco for the past 8 years (on and off for nursing school). I started this little business in 2018, in my college apartment, with the hope of getting to show girls that fashion is so much more unique, fun, cheaper, and more sustainable getting to repurpose and reuse items through buying secondhand. My mom (Laura) and grandma (Minea) raised me by taking me to thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales – teaching me the beauty in shopping secondhand. So often I would run across clothing that was so beautiful but not in my size/style which then inspired me to find new homes for these items through the birth of my little business. I believe that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the resources we have been given and for me that looks like getting to divert waste by repurposing secondhand clothes/goods. I am also a Labor and Delivery Nurse, and nursing is not the most “creative” job all the time, so this business is my creative outlet where I get to express creativity through imagining a new life for secondhand goods and also through florals. I believe we were all created to be “creative” in some capacity we just must dream what walking out that calling looks like!
Q. What motivated you to focus on vintage and second-hand clothing instead of buying new?
A. My closet currently and for most of my life has consisted of mostly secondhand clothing, and I wanted to show others that they can very simply add quality secondhand goods to their closet as well. The character and quality of vintage clothing is so much better than a lot of modern-day brands, and they have withstood the test of time. Vintage pieces force us to creatively style it in a modern way. My hope is that whenever a customer comes to shop with me that there can be something for everyone, no matter what their age/size/style. I primarily focus on vintage but have always dipped my hand in sourcing some modern brands as well. I am always appalled to find modern name brand items, that are in mint condition, that I know retail for $50+, just sitting at a thrift store; when I run across these items, I’m determined to find them a new home and always shocked someone donated it in the first place. So many people are interested in the idea of buying second-hand but don’t want the work of going out and searching/digging through thrift stores and estate sales which is where I come in. Since I love going out and searching high and low for quality goods, I take out the work of thrifting for my customers by curating a collection that’s already refined.
Q. How does sustainability play a role in your business beyond reselling vintage items?
A. In the last two years, I have started offering flower services for weddings, events, and special custom arrangement. The floral industry is naturally very wasteful which makes me so sad. I made it my goal when entering the floral industry to work hard to minimize my waste. I work hard to source secondhand vessels from other florists, thrift stores, and estate sale rather than buying brand new vases/vessels. I avoid using floral foam and instead opt to use chicken wire, which I clean and reuse from wedding to wedding. I try to compost the flower waste whenever I can (either for my own garden or Mission Waco’s Urban Reap) and when I can’t compost, I make sure to separate it and put it in the green yard waste trash bin. Finally, I always encourage my brides to look into preserving their wedding flowers to enjoy their beauty for years to come.
For the “resale” side of things I do a couple of different things to prioritize sustainability and minimize my carbon footprint. One thing I have done for a while is using compostable bags whenever shipping items. Additionally, in the last year I started using plant based ecofriendly detergent, since I give all my clothes a good wash before selling to customers. Finally, any items I am unable to sell, I exhaust all my options trying to further divert from a landfill. I try sewing/modifying the item, I take the items to Amelia’s Fashion Exchange/Buffalo Exchange/Plato’s Closet/Another Season to consign, and then finally any leftovers I haven’t been able to repurpose, I donate to Waco Clothesline, Salvation Army, or Goodwill. This Past January I hosted a “Closet swap” event in hopes of people getting to “shop” other people’s “giveaway items” and find some fun gems before those Items just ended up sitting at a thrift store. The event was super fun and a great success, I hope to host another even again in the future.
In the last 6 months, I got certified as a Waco Certified Green Business through Keep Waco Beautiful, as a way of joining other local businesses in working to be good stewards of our resources. This helps hold me accountable in making sure I’m continuing to be thoughtful in minimizing waste. It also helps inspire me and keep me educated of further ways I can help decrease my carbon footprint.
Q. Your floral arrangements are stunning. Tell us a little more about this.
A. I have had my hand in flowers for as long as I can remember. For my wedding >3 years ago I threw out the idea of doing my own wedding flowers and everyone thought I was crazy and was going to stress myself out but it was truly one of the highlights of my wedding weekend. This experience sparked a thought to add flower services to my business. In the last 2 years I have done many weddings, custom arrangements, Valentine’s Day flowers, flower bars, and more! I try to minimize waste in the floral industry and one of my favorite ways to do this is through repurposing secondhand vessels. The majority of my arrangements, especially the custom arrangements, are arranged in secondhand vessels which I think adds so much personality to them. For floral inquiries fill out the google form on my website. If you can dream it, I can likely make it happen!
Q. Can you share a little about the most rewarding part of running a sustainable business?
A. I would say the most rewarding part of running a sustainable business is getting to see customers out and about wearing their Second Time’s the Charm apparel. So often I’ll have customers come up to me saying “I got this from you and I wear it all the time”. Or I’ll lean over to my husband (Johnson) or friends out in public and whisper to them “I’m 99% sure that person bought that … from me”. I smile getting to see my customers getting to creatively style their items and thinking about the fact that the item they are wearing may still be sitting at a thrift store or may have ended up in a landfill if I didn’t have the privilege of doing what I do.
Q. Do you have any tips for someone who wants to shop vintage/ second hand but doesn’t know where to start?
A. Go out with an open mind! There is always something for everyone you just need to think creatively sometimes. Go with a friend – this is often more fun and helps to have multiple sets of eyes looking. Look through ALL the racks, including the “out of season” items along with the sections that are “not your size”. Items often get misplaced in secondhand stores, vintage sizes are nowhere close to modern day sizes, and shopping out of season gives you the best picks to hold onto for the future.
Q. Why do you think it’s important for businesses to be mindful of sustainability?
A. In Gensis 1 we see this command from God, after creating the whole world, man, and woman, to rule over and bring order to the earth. God had just looked at everything he made and called in “very good”. I can’t help but think about how pure the world would have been during this time, the air so good for our lungs, no chemicals, no wasteland, flourishing fruits and veggies and greenery. I believe we are all called to be good stewards of our resources and bring “heaven to earth” through the way we preserve creation so that the generations to come have a beautiful world to enjoy.
Q. What’s your favorite piece that you’ve sourced or sold, or do you have any “must haves” when you find them thrifting? (specific clothing, décor items, etc.?)
A. It’s so hard for me to narrow down to one favorite piece having done this for almost 7 years but I would say I am always a sucker for overalls and vintage Dooney and Bourke or Coach purses. I love overalls for everyone, and I often have a hard time letting go of them and not keeping them all for myself. Vintage leather, specifically Dooney and Coach, are such good quality, you can’t get anything like it from any modern brands and I also love the timeless styles of their vintage purses. Also, I am ALWAYS a sucker for brass, denim, and vintage leather!
Q. Have you faced any challenges as a business owner focused on sustainability?
A. Sometimes sustainable options can be a more expensive investment but I have to remind myself of the greater picture. It’s about more than just money/profit.
Q. How has your passion for sustainability influenced your personal lifestyle outside of your business?
A. My husband and I are far from perfect, we still create lots of waste, but each year I feel like we keep taking little steps towards a more sustainable life. Some things that we do to help decrease our waste and create a more sustainable life are: using reusable water bottle only, using storage Tupperware over plastic bags (we do still use plastic bags some ☹), having a garden in our backyard with fruit trees, having chickens who eat all our food waste, composting in our yard for our garden, saving veggies scraps and chicken bones for homemade stock, turning the lights off when not in a room, continuing to shop secondhand for our closets over buying new, decorating our house with preloved items (our house is 95% furnished/decorated with secondhand goods), when things break or stop working we fix it rather than throwing it away, and using eco friendly soaps and detergents.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about starting their own sustainable business?
A. Just do it! I remember when I was having second guesses before starting this business my mom looked to me and said something along the lines of, “So what! If it fails, then it fails… but what if it THRIVES! This is a low-risk investment”. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s so fun and it can shift with the seasons I am in; I can put in as much or as little as I want. It’s so fun getting to meet so many incredible people in the community through this business.
Q. Where can we shop your collection?
A. Currently I only sell out of Central Goods, but I am always looking for new places to rent a space! In the past I have sold items at Ramble & Company here in Waco and MAKS in Salado. I often participate in market events – I love pop-up shops in various market scenes. Follow along through my Instagram for upcoming events @secondtimesthe_charm to see where I’ll be next!
Q. Lastly, what’s next for you and Second Time’s the Charm? And do you have anything else you would like to share?
A. That’s a great question! In the last 6 months I have launched my website (with help from my brother Luke), did a big remodel/install at my booth in Central Goods, and have started hosting events. In the next 6 months I hope to continue watching my floral services grow, to get more markets on the calendar, to be better about educating my customers through my website and in person, and to host more events like the “Closet Swap”. I would also love to collaborate with more businesses in town through partnerships, so if you have ideas for collaborations/partnerships in the future don’t hesitate to reach out!
To close, it’s clear that Natalie’s passion for sustainability and creativity shines through every aspect of her business. From curating carefully sourced secondhand apparel to crafting stunning floral arrangements with minimal waste, she is a true example of how one can make a positive impact while doing what they love. Whether you’re looking for unique vintage finds, beautiful flowers, or simply a refreshing perspective on sustainable living, Second Time’s the Charm offers something for everyone. As Natalie continues to grow her business, we can expect even more exciting events, collaborations, and creative endeavors that will inspire and uplift the community. Stay tuned, support local, and join the movement towards a more sustainable future—one cherished item at a time.
(Photo credits go to Megan Calkin @megcalkinsphoto)