For three years, Michelle’s Closet has brought variety to Pullman retail via quality consignment.

Located in downtown Pullman, Michelle’s Closet sells secondhand clothing sold at discounted prices, offering affordable clothing and accessories for anyone in need.

Founder and owner Michelle Kelly said the store’s selection consisted of men’s, women’s and children’s styles in sizes ranging from 00 to 26. 

Michelle’s Closet also sublets part of their store to Dance in Motion, a small business that sells dance-related attire, she said.

Kelly graduated from Washington State University in 2011 and returned for her master’s degree almost a decade later. During that gap, Kelly said that clothes shopping in Pullman had not changed. She soon started to realize that WSU students needed more affordable options for retail.

“I remember when I was an undergrad I didn’t have the most money, but I still had needs and needed to have either business attire or outfits to go out in,” Kelly said. “I was hoping to bring quality clothing at a moderate price to Pullman, and to build up our fashion district.”

At Michelle’s Closet, consumers can consign their clothing for a profit. If their item is sold, consignors can either earn 40% of the profits in cash, check, Venmo or 50% in in-store credit. Kelly said that in one month, Michelle’s Closet sells as much as $10,000 worth of items.

From the first to the 20th of each month, consignors can bring items into Michelle’s Closet anytime it is open. After the 20th, employees at Michelle’s Closet sort through the clothing. Kelly said the newest, trendiest clothing is put out for sale by the end of the month.

Consignors are limited to submitting up to 20 items per visit. Consignors are also asked to clean items before bringing them in, in addition to keeping them free of wrinkles, hair and odor.

Items that are not accepted or sold after 90 days are either returned to consignors or donated. In the past, Michelle’s Closet has donated items to Cooper’s Legacy Foundation, Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse and Palouse Treasures. Items that are not accepted or sold can also be moved to the sales rack, the proceeds of which partly go to a charity of their choice. In 2019, the proceeds went to sending members of Pullman’s LGBTQ+ community to Spokane Pride.

“We try to keep everything local,” Kelly said. “We’re promoting just to build the community.”

Sales associate Mairin McCleary said one of her favorite parts about working at Michelle’s Closet is how close she has become with some of the customers.

“We have one consignor who comes in all the time. I see him all the time, and he comes in and talks to us about what he’s doing with his life and stuff like that,” McCleary said. “It’s really nice to talk to people one-on-one. You really get to know them with a smaller business.”