By Sara Poirier Correa
Sentinel Contributor
Playing dress-up has yet to get old for Sophia Scarpelli.
A former professional singer with a love of big-band music and history, Scarpelli has lived and breathed costumes, accessories, and much more for the past 35 years at her antique and vintage clothing store and gift shop off Greenwich Avenue.
The store, known simply as Sophia’s, has evolved through the years; Sophia notes the staff’s knowledge and service in staying ahead of the game.
“People buy on the internet and we know that,” Scarpelli told the Greenwich Sentinel. “So we have to capitalize on customer service and the quality of our stuff.”
That “stuff” includes three floors of costumes for sale and rent, as well as a variety of hostess gifts, antique and costume jewelry, and vintage clothing collected through the years.
Halloween costumes includ: Adult Retail Costumes; Accessories; Wigs; Children’s Costumes; Capes And Cloaks; Corsets; and even Dog Costumes.
“This is kind of like an old-fashioned emporium,” Scarpelli said. “Everything is usually cookie-cutter, corporate, and everything has a plan. But everything here is hand-picked by me.”
“Our store is really a place to get lost in,” she added. Costumes are clean and ready to wear.
She added that the staff’s knowledge of different time periods and what wardrobe is appropriate lends itself to a complete customer experience which allows for a historically accurate ensemble.
Whether it’s the soaps, lotions, and other hostess gifts available, or the Venetian masks, the Renaissance-era gowns, or vintage clothing, Sophia’s is a culmination of Scarpelli’s love of beautiful fabrics, unique style, and all things vintage.
“I was sick of hand-me-downs, so I used to go and buy vintage clothing,” said Scarpelli, who comes from a large family.
“I should have been born in the 1920s because I’m more of a romantic person,” she added. “[The 1920s were] very glamorous and that time is done. It will never come back.”
“Vintage has changed as well,” she said of today’s mindsets. “[Young people today] think the 1990s is vintage.”
“There are very few small gift stores in Greenwich. I’m still keeping the downstairs because we need it.”
She added, “We’re expanding our costume business because that’s where our niche is.”
Her most popular costumes include those from Star Wars and “Downton Abbey.” Through the years, Scarpelli noted she has sold and rented vintage clothing to people attending events such as the Emmys and the Oscars. Costume designers from Hollywood studios have also used her clothing. A vintage bathrobe she sold to one designer was featured in the movie Titanic, she said.
Sophia’s will ship merchandise to one’s home. On one rainy Wednesday, she said she shipped two costumes a la “Downton Abbey” to customers in New Canaan and Maine, each of who were to attend parties with the popular PBS series as their theme.
Sophia’s provides quality, high-end pieces at all price points, making it accessible for all, Scarpelli said.
“I wanted to make sure everybody could buy stuff in my store,” Scarpelli said.
With that in mind, the sales team at Sophia’s offers a “nice” attitude and service with a smile, she added.
“We really care if you come back,” she said. “You never know who’s going to spend money. You have to treat everybody the same.”
As for the vintage clothing she consigns, Scarpelli said she is constantly looking to freshen things up.
“We have clothes from the 1890s through the1990s, and a lot of it is fantastic and great, but if it’s been here six months, I get tired of looking at it,” she said of the turnover of her inventory.
Scarpelli, who began her business at age 21, said she recently renewed the store’s lease for five more years, allowing Sophia’s to follow its new path and continue to thrive.
For more about Sophia’s, visit the store at 1 Liberty Way – just off Greenwich Avenue, call 203.869.5990, check out updates on social media or go to sophiascostumes.com.
