Beacon’s Closet Employees On Personal Style
“When we interview potential candidates to work here, we [often] get the question: ‘what is the dress code for employees?'” explains Leah Giampietro, one of the managers of Beacon’s Closet‘s Greenpoint location. “I tell them they just have to make sure they’re wearing clothes.” She used to say their nipples just had to be covered, but even that rule can be bent these days. Luckily, the desire to work at a place like the New York City staple thrift store parallels an interest in fashion, or rather personal style. But no one employee dresses like another. Aside from a love of self-expression, the only uniting factor is the source of the fashion. Nearly every item worn is from Beacon’s Closet.
The employee outfits range from practical to eccentric, but even the demure still exude a flair for creativity. “I feel like I’m one of the more low-key dressers at Beacon’s but then I remember that my pajamas are also a look,” says another manager, Caroline Yes. Today, she sports a denim duster, plisse “pajama” pants, and platform crocs. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ll find employees like buyer Shanice Hyman. She’s wearing a black sheer hoop-style skirt with red piping, paired with a serendipitously corresponding black rose-embellished top hat. The way the staff is encouraged to embrace their own individual styles is, to Hyman, “the most beautiful aspect” about working there.
“I’m a buyer so I look through the clothes and price them depending on the style and the season,” says employee Alyse Leah. That said, she boils her job description down to this: “I get to dig through treasure.” But, this is a retail job so comfort is an important factor. Employees often cultivate a uniform-like footwear signature ranging from Hoka’s to Demonia’s to, you guessed it, Crocs. “I don’t like being uncomfortable at all. I will lose my mind,” says buyer Plum Thorne. That’s where the perks of the job come into play. “If I wear something that’s uncomfortable to work I will buy something so I can change because I can’t focus,” Thorne continues.
“Obviously, everybody that works here loves fashion,” Yes explains, “but there’s a very specific sort of hard-to-pin-down thing that people who are good buyers or who catch the vibe here have. It is not just about fashion, it is very much about personal style and about the enjoyment [of fashion].” That joy comes through in their ensembles. “You get so inspired by everybody’s outfits here,” says buyer Elijah Quebrada, “and you get inspired by the things you find or the people that come in here.” Buyer Chris Aynalem sums it up, “I feel like a lot of us take it for granted sometimes. So it’s nice to step back and be like, ‘Wow, I’m lucky to work here.'”
Click through the below slideshow to see what everyone wore on a late October day at work.
