Sisters shop to fetch rare items for Yuma customers

Ellen Ward sipped out of an oversized coffee cup and eloquently waved her hands as she described a never-before-worn, full-length, red leather jacket which fit her perfectly.  

Ward then explained how she wrestled and reasoned with herself to place that jacket on a sale rack during a special trunk show for Yuma shoppers.

Ward and her two sisters, Jule Girard of Yuma and Jane Pitts of Tucson, spend weekends scouring the big cities for designer, brand-name and vintage clothes - along with shoes, purses, and jewelry - with the intention of bringing these finds to Yuma area shoppers.

The trio compiles hundreds of the one-of-a-kind items to sell downtown, at 96 W. 2nd St., on Saturdays about once a month. The old adobe building is transformed into a traditional fashion store with racks, mannequins, shelves and fitting rooms.

Ward described the Saturdays as a little party where everyone has fun shopping and socializing.

"It's kind of like a Tupperware party, but better," Pitts added.  

The next sale is scheduled for mid-October, as the sisters will be traveling all over the West searching for funky, unusual and upscale pieces this summer.

"It's safe to say that if it looks like a place that sells clothes, we will go there," Ward said.  "We are looking for clothing that is not run of mill, not ordinary, and you find that in the most unlikely places."

Besides looking at the quality, name and price tag, the sisters question if each piece jumps out at them and if it will jump out at others. They want the items to inspire that "I just have to have this" feeling, Ward added.

Ward and Pitts agree that the clothing they shop for is not necessarily secondhand. Every item is in "perfect condition" and ready to go right on the sale racks. "Some items even have tags on them still," Ward said.

"Our role is like an editors, not to fill the racks with junk but with the good stuff you can't find in Yuma," Pitts said.

Pitts has the background to be a clothing editor. She has a history in the fashion industry, designing prototypes and selling vintage and upscale clothing in San Francisco. She also has a history in sales, hosting individual trunk shows and participating in antique fairs in Tucson.

"There was no dress code in high school so I went to school in costume everyday ... even as a teenager I didn't like the fabrics and fashions of the time so I bought vintage," Pitts said.

"When I moved to San Francisco I became more and more embroidered in that life and handled the best stuff in the world. I can spot good stuff because I'm knowledgeable in designers, textiles, cuts and workmanship."

Pitts passed along her knowledge and shopping tricks to her sisters and convinced them to begin the Saturday "trunk shows" in Yuma.

"Who wants to drive to Phoenix or San Diego and pay $350 for a dress, when they can pay $25 in Yuma?" Pitts asked.

Apparently the Yuma community agreed, as the three sisters had great turnouts at their first two Saturday sales in April and May.

"We were a little overwhelmed, but that is wonderful," Ward said about their first sale. "The whole community has been out for us and it's a great feeling. Some shoppers even called friends from the store to tell them to come down."

The sisters are thrilled at the community's response and plan to continue the sales once a month beginning this October. They enjoy the environment the "trunk show" ushers in.

"It's lovely to see returning faces and the enthusiasm shoppers have when they find what they are looking for," Ward said.

The sales don't offer a profit for the ladies, as they pour all the money back into shopping for more items.

Most items boast sales tags from $12 to $25 and just a few of the designer and brand names include Armani, Marc Jacobs, Versace, 7 for All Mankind, Dooney & Burke, Banana Republic, Luck Brand Jeans and Fossil.

Ward explained that historically, designers would take trunks to big-city streets and literally pull new fashions out of box on the corner.  Now Yuma-area shoppers can find the latest and greatest in upscale and vintage clothing not in a trunk but in an old adobe building.

For more information, contact threesistersyuma @gmail.com.