KENT, Conn. — Shoppers looking for affordable fashion have a new destination in town, but for owner Caitlin Soltys, Perfectly Paired Consignment & Boutique represents much more than a new business.
The boutique at 25 N. Main St. #4 opened March 21 — World Down Syndrome Day — a date that holds special meaning for Soltys and her family.
She and her husband have a daughter, Saylor, who has Down syndrome and who will turn 3 in August. They also have an 11-year-old son, Maddox.
Opening the store on that day was a celebration, Soltys said.
“I always loved thrifting and finding the bargain instead of just getting rid of items,” she said of what sparked her interest in the consignment business. “So much goes into landfills.”
Perfectly Paired carries primarily women’s clothing, along with a small selection of children’s and men’s apparel. Soltys estimated about 85 percent of the inventory is consignment, while the remainder consists of boutique merchandise such as scarves and sun hats. The shop also features products from local vendors, including candles, clay earrings and crocheted items.
“People love the hunt,” Soltys said.
Bobbi-Jo Baldwick of Gaylordsville said she visits the “unique shop” about once a week, often stopping there before heading anywhere else because there are “a lot of options to choose from.”
“Now I can’t stop going in there,” she said. “I don’t need a thing, but I always walk out with something.”
Gina Barberio of New Milford described the boutique as “beautifully displayed and organized,” with “great prices” and “quality consigned clothes.”
After hearing about the store from someone at her doctor’s office, Barberio visited to browse and drop off clothing to consign.
She especially appreciated the “great jewelry and sunglasses, as well as shoes, designer purses and wallets.”
The boutique also offers vintage and designer pieces.
Baldwick said a pair of Steve Madden leopard ballet flats she purchased there has become one of her favorite finds.
Krystyna Jankowski of Bantam agreed the boutique carries merchandise of “great quality,” including “many new [items] with tags.”
She has purchased shoes, jeans, a purse and “beautiful sterling jewelry.”
Jankowski, who has known Soltys for several years, dating back to her previous business in New Preston, described her as “really sweet and personable and so capable of running a great consignment boutique shop.”
Soltys is no stranger to the consignment business. She previously purchased Rebecca Christine Consignment & Boutique in New Preston from its original owner and operated it as Caitlin Shea’s for nearly two years. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, however, her husband accepted a job out of state and the family relocated to Maine.
Left with a large amount of inventory — much of it donated — Soltys began selling online. “I started selling everything online,” she said. “I was on Poshmark, Mercari and eBay.”
Before long, friends and family began asking her to sell their clothing as well. “They’d say, ‘If I give you my stuff, can you sell it for me? I don’t have time for it,'” she recalled.
When the family returned to Connecticut, Soltys already had an established network of consignors, making it a relatively smooth transition to open Perfectly Paired.
“Social media has been my saving grace,” she said. “Consigners bring their stuff in, and we’ve been able to fill the store.”
Perfectly Paired offers consignors two options. Items remain on the sales floor for 60 days. At the end of that period, consignors may reclaim unsold merchandise or leave it with the store.
Items left behind become the property of Perfectly Paired and are moved to the clearance rack, where they are discounted by 75 percent. After the clearance period, remaining merchandise is donated, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut, allowing unsold clothing to support a local nonprofit rather than end up in a landfill.
In addition to regular sales and specials, Perfectly Paired holds pop-up events, typically monthly. Thus far, there have been a handful, focused on jewelry, charms and floral bouquets.
The boutique’s name also carries a deeply personal meaning.
“She’s the perfect pair to me,” Soltys said of her daughter. “I never knew I needed a daughter with special needs. She made me realize all that.”
Before Saylor was born, Soltys said she struggled with anxiety after learning her daughter would have Down syndrome.
“I had anxiety knowing I was having a baby with Down syndrome,” she said. “I was just talking to other parents about it. The whole time I was pregnant, the doctors never told you anything good. They only talked about the bad things — that she’d be delayed, have muscle weakness, have a higher chance of leukemia. But she’s amazing. I don’t look at her any differently.”
Soltys hopes one day the boutique will become part of her daughter’s future. Her dream is to build the business so Saylor can work there — and eventually help run it in her own way.
“She’ll be able to walk into something that’s hers,” Soltys said. “She won’t have the anxiety of wondering, ‘Can I do this? Can I fit in?'”
Perfectly Paired is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 860-592-0013 or email perfectlypairedconsignment@gmail.com.
