Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Rawe Weimer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amy, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

When I began my business I had grand ideas of selling only readymade vintage-inspired items, especially garments based off of 1950s women’s fashion. Branching out more into alterations, I quickly realized that the LGBTQIA+ community needed an ally in my business.

My goal overall for all of my clients is to help them feel beautiful in their own skin. In a world where LGBTQIA+ individuals must guard themselves, I strive to offer a safe space at all times through my communication, during consultations, and during fittings. I ask each client their pronouns. I focus on what my clients want to convey through the fit of their clothing. Clothes today are gendered and cut based on stereotypical binary female and male forms. Finding something off the rack for a cis gendered individual can sometimes be frustrating, but finding something off the rack for trans or non-binary individuals can be impossible for some. A few memorable examples include changing a woman’s-cut blazer to a boxier fit for a non-binary individual giving them the androgynous look they wanted, and altering a column style wedding gown for a trans woman to help give her a more hourglass shape on her wedding day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been drawing and creating for as long as I can remember. I designed and created Halloween costumes and dolls as a kid. In high school I started working backstage in theater and branched out to photography, ceramics, painting, and sculpture, trying to find my main passion. Entering college I had the difficult choice of a traditional office career or to “never make money in the arts”. After one semester I chose to major in theatrical costume design and basically ran to the theater department, feeling it welcome me home.

In college I had the privilege of designing, stitching, and/or dressing over 25 productions. After getting my BFA, I worked in various theatres in Cincinnati, Chicago, and upstate New York, following wherever my passion led me. I settled in Baltimore in 2012, making a permanent home working in the arts in this city. Since living here in Bmore, I have worked with several theatre companies, designing and constructing costumes. Some of my favorite shows being “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “Ghost: The Musical” with Drama Learning Center’s TYA acting program, where I got to work with some talented teens; “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” at Spotlighter’s Theatre and “Little Women” at Strand Theater Company. Alongside working in theater I have had the pleasure of working for two amazing bridal shops, Love It! at Stellas in Westminister, MD (formerly Stella’s Bridal off Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, Baltimore) and alongside Devory Rayman, a designer and seamstress servicing the Jewish Orthodox Community of Baltimore.

I believe that having an educational background in theatrical costume design combined with my knowledge and experience in professional bridal alterations has made me one of a kind in the market. Thanks to these skill sets I am able to offer custom design and construction for everything from everyday wear to formal gowns, fronm upcycling a vintage bridal gown into a christening gown to Renaissance Garb and professional wrestling gear, including a luchadore mask! That same background has allowed me to think outside of the box when posed with a challenging fitting, like how to make it easier for a bride to breastfeed her newborn at her wedding without worrying about taking off her gown and, more commonly, how to alter a gown to properly fit someone with scoliosis or other unusual body types so that they feel comfortable and themselves in their clothing. My biggest responsibility is to make my clients feel beautiful.

Moving into 2023, I have many exciting plans. I will be opening my online store and taking part in more artisan markets, offering readymade items for purchase alongside all of my custom projects and alterations. All of my readymade wear, from skirts to pins to jewelry, will continue to be one of a kind with some variation. I plan to continue placing a large focus on inclusivity with plus size and non-gendered clothing. I will also be working towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly business by upcycling, reclaiming, and reimagining garments and accessories already in our world, and donating fabric scraps to be recycled and used for insulation.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A few years after completing undergrad, I was working at a children’s theatre camp. Towards the end of my second summer with this camp, I suffered a tragic work accident that left me with only partial use of my right, dominant arm, and chronic pain that would stay with me for nine long years. It was only one month after that accident that I moved to Baltimore.

After the accident my career flipped on its head. My original plan was to get a full time job in a costume shop or attend grad school so I could teach in the future. Unfortunately, my physical limitations would no longer allow me to dress backstage of a show, to work long hours in a costume shop, or even to cut out a single garment or design it on paper. I needed to find work as I had just moved to Baltimore. I had applied to a few places, but Stella’s Bridal on Eastern Avenue in Baltimore (now Love It! at Stella’s in Westminster) was the only place that would give me a shot knowing my physical limitations. It was at Stella’s that I worked with a woman named Dina, who taught me everything I know about working in bridal-skills that I still use today.
Even though I was unable to work in a costume shop setting, I was able to find small ways to work in theatre. As Stella’s was downsizing staff that little bit of theater work led to a staff manager position with a children’s theater. I was able to sit at my desk and work, giving my chronic pain a chance to rest, once again allowing me to do more costume design. A few years into my work as a staff manager and I was able to physically do more and itching to leave the laptop behind and get back to sewing full time. So, I went back to Stella’s and began working with a small company offering alterations and gown builds to the Jewish Orthodox community. There, I was able to design and pattern and build. At Stella’s, I was able to work with upscale gowns, learning more from Dina than I had previously. I was continuously expanding my skill sets in these two positions, but I didn’t feel it was enough. Long hours between the two jobs kept me from working in theater as much as I liked, which also meant I was not designing my own works. But I had designs in my head that ached to get out.

At this time, six years after the accident, I was able to work longer hours and withstand more physically. I was beginning to sketch out and create those designs. I began taking in a few custom projects and making readymade garments. I took a handful of alterations here and there. And with that, my business, Clothes Were The Days was born in 2019. Since then, I have been able to go full time with my business and I am so proud of everything I have been able to accomplish.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

My favorite sale happened when I was a vendor at a Small Business Saturday artisan market put on by Makers of Maryland in 2022. The day was a bit slow in sales for me and I hadn’t yet made up the cost of the vendor fee. My husband helps run vendor booths with me, so we are each able to go around and see all the other artisan offerings. As I came back to the booth, my husband told me that a non-binary teen made a beeline for my meager pride section of pins and accessories. They picked up a small heart pin, embroidered with non-binary flag colors and bought it immediately. They were so excited and my husband told them that his wife hand made all of the pride pins. They replied, “Tell your wife she made my little they/them heart happy.” If I hadn’t sold another thing that day it wouldn’t have mattered. I loved that I was able to help someone feel seen for who they are.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clotheswerethedays.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/clotheswerethedaysus
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ClothesWereTheDays
• Other: TikTok: @clotheswerethedays

Image Credits
Allyson Washington Photography Amy Rawe Weimer