By Richard Kaufman
Nestled just off the Avenue on Liberty Way sits a Greenwich gem.
For 38 years, Sophia’s has been a one-stop shop gift and costume emporium, attracting customers from all over.
Owner Sophia Scarpelli grew up in Cos Cob, and attended Cos Cob School and Greenwich High School. She originally opened up a furniture refinishing and seat weaving business, and later sold antiques. Scarpelli then focused on selling and renting vintage clothing, which she began to collect while she was in high school.
Scarpelli, who sings in a band, says she was always the lead in every play as a child. A fan of Big Band Music, she used to dress up as a member of The Manhattan Transfer and wear 1940’s style clothing. “It kind of snowballed,” Scarpelli said of her clothing collection. “I love old and beautiful things.”
Her costume rental business was born, and it has been an integral part of Sophia’s ever since. From ancient world to the 1990’s and everything in between, the top floor of Sophia’s is packed wall-to-wall with costumes and accessories for all occasions. Unlike replica costumes from a party store, Sophia’s costumes are real and genuine.
Her store manager, Glenn Beyus, has worked at Sophia’s for 27 years. He said that Sophia’s rents out thousands of costumes per year.
Most recently, he helped put together a Nutcracker-themed party in Guilford, Conn. Guests had to wear either 18th century clothing, or dress as a character from the ballet.
Beyus said he enjoys working with every customer who comes in.
“The shier they are, the more I push them,” Beyus said, adding that he recently was able to get a reluctant customer to step out of his comfort zone for a 1970’s themed party.
Having personal relationships and connections with customers is important for Scarpelli, who takes pride in the fact that her staff knows the inventory inside and out. This knowledge helps customers find that perfect gift for someone, or an historically accurate costume for that big party.
“We know our customers’ names, we know what they bought last month or last year, and people like that. They like the personal service you don’t get online,” she said.
Because there are so few stores of its kind in Greenwich, Sophia’s has become known as the place to get a funny, unique gift at a great price. “I want my store to be a place where everyone can buy something,” Scarpelli said. Customers can even browse beautiful estate jewelry that Scarpelli consigns, as well as fine soap and lotion products.
For the holidays, Sophia’s has everything from handmade ornaments, which she gives out to each child that walks into the store, to solutions for those troublesome stocking stuffers. The racks of socks, oven mitts, and packs of gum and mints, which feature funny illustrations and messages on them, are always a big hit.
Scarpelli handpicks everything in the store, and often finds unique items at various shows and conventions around the country.
“I try to find stuff you don’t see everywhere,” she said.
In the age of online shopping, Amazon and corporate retail stores, Sophia’s is somewhat of a dying breed, especially in Greenwich. Small mom-and-pop stores, which used to line Greenwich Avenue, are few and far between. Scarpelli said she has seen the landscape of Greenwich change over the years. She recalls the days when Greenwich Avenue was a two-way street.
But one thing has remained true: shopping local and supporting local businesses is vital to the community.
“[Supporting local business] is everything,” Scarpelli said. “If people don’t support, you’re going to have ghost towns everywhere. Stores like me, they make the town.”
The support Scarpelli has received from the Greenwich community has been invaluable to her small business over the last 38 years, and she’s hoping more people realize that small business owners are the lifeblood to the town.
“The most incredible people have walked through that door. Famous people have walked through that door, normal people have walked through that door. But the people that have walked through that door have changed my life,” she said.
For more about Sophia’s, visit the store at 1 Liberty Way, or call 203-869-5990. You can also go to sophiascostumes.com.
