HAMPTON, Va. — A Hampton small business has seen its share of struggles, but they’re overcoming all the obstacles to keep their dream alive.
A mother of 10 children and a self-proclaimed queen of hand-me-downs, Ashley Adams turned her vision of helping families find affordable clothing into a reality when she opened Secondhand Stylish.
“For me, the store doesn’t just mean a way for me and my family - it’s like... it’s also helping other families and the community,” said Adams.
She opened the gently used children’s clothing store in Hampton last year, and things got off to a to a rocky start.
“We signed a lease about three days before we found out about corona.”
The grand opening in March was delayed until August, and it wasn’t smooth sailing from there.
“They put a lock-out notice on the door, and so it was hard to sell anything because all my stuff was in here,” she explained.
After falling behind on rent, Adams was forced to close shop for three weeks in October and another three months starting in December.
“The dream that you had starts to crash because of this thing that nobody expected, and you feel like nobody’s understanding.”
But where there’s a will, this Sailor found a way. She reopened her store last week and is eager to help new families find the perfect fit for any occasion.
“We’re right by Phoenix Elementary School, so we can give a discount to our Phoenix Panthers; we give a discount to Bethel Bruins, and we also have a teachers discount.”
Adams’ passion for community is what’s behind her support of other small businesses and her nonprofit Lend A Second Hand.
“Come in here; talk to us. We’ll get you what you need, and if I can’t, I can find somebody who will.”
A small business with a big heart, Secondhand Stylish hopes the community will give them a first try.
“If your children are in need of quality clothing, come see us.”
Secondhand Stylish is located at 1188 Big Bethel Rd. in Hampton.
People looking to sell children's clothing can go online here to set up an appointment.
