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

Sara, appreciate you joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I hadn’t considered this before, but taking the time to reflect on the last year of my life has shown me I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change a thing about when or how I started Saratonin Vintage. I had recently relocated to Charleston for my partner’s job, leaving behind my community and career. I have a degree in political science with a double minor in communications and women’s studies. I had always planned on going to law school, yet found myself working as a Victim’s Advocate at a domestic violence shelter. Moving on from something so fulfilling was difficult, as I had fallen in love with social work.

In the midst of the move I lost my sweet cat, Mr. Pancakes, followed swiftly by the loss of my incredible grandmother, Carol Ann. I spent the majority of my time home alone, working through my grief and trying to figure out what my future would look like in Charleston. My anxiety and depression were peaking around the holidays and I was struggling to put myself out there for jobs and friendships.

Going to estate sales or thrift stores, putting on an audiobook, and hunting for unique clothing and trinkets became my way to escape my own mind. After over five months in Charleston, I made my first friend because I attended so many of her company’s estate sales and our mutual love of crocheting.

My secondhand obsession quickly expanded to online auctions, where I found a sweater that reminded me so much of my grandmother, I simply had to have it. This led to me collecting an entire closet of vintage clothing, with pieces still in their dry cleaning bags from the early 1970s. I loved getting to learn about the clothing, the history, and the people who had owned them before. This also catapulted me into starting Saratonin Vintage, because I couldn’t justify holding on to pieces that wouldn’t fit me and I couldn’t contain the excitement I felt about this clothing. I knew I needed to share these finds with likeminded vintage lovers.

I have met so many incredible people through markets in Charleston and Savannah. I have built a community that accepts all my eccentricities, and I have had to dream bigger as I continue to surpass the goals I set at the start of this journey.

As I reflect on the past year, I believe Saratonin Vintage came into my life at the best possible time. Creating this company has forced me to step out of my comfort zone, find confidence in myself, and meet new people. It has brought me out of isolation and showed me I can do the difficult things, even when I’m scared.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Saratonin Vintage is about providing people from size 0 to 24 (working to expand on that every day) vintage clothing that makes them feel confident and comfortable, while also having a positive impact on the environment.

I myself experienced so many size fluctuations in college. I started as a size 12, went up to a size 16/18, and by graduation I was a size 4. It obviously wasn’t practical for me to buy a new wardrobe just because my clothing size changed, which led to a lot of thrifting throughout school. I remember loving so many of the pieces that I found so quickly when I was a size 4 – 8, and how hard I struggled to find options when I was a size 14 – 18.

The thing was I still loved vintage clothing, no matter what size I was. I loved fashion and relished in thrifting cool things that made my body feel good. Clothing has always been my armor, I feel bulletproof when I find an outfit that looks fantastic, regardless of what size I am.

Saratonin Vintage is about finding items that make people feel good and encouraging others, regardless of size or gender, to express their unique style. I love when people come to my booth and I can point out the perfect piece off the top of my head, tell them what decade it’s from and where it was made. I probably get more excited than my customers when they try something on and it’s a perfect fit. I have items from the 1930s to the 1990s, and I think it’s awesome to be able to check a union label and know the details of an item. I’m passionate about getting sharing the intersection of fashion and history with people.

I’ve had people ask me why I don’t raise my prices and while it’s always been about inclusivity, it’s also been about accessibility. I want people to be able to purchase curated vintage clothing at a reasonable price because that’s how we create a sustainable secondhand market.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis on my 15th birthday. There have been periods of time when I couldn’t wash my hair or tie my shoes on my own. My right wrist is entirely bone grinding on bone, and as a result, I will be getting a total wrist fusion in the next few months. As someone who crochets, draws, and sews, losing control over my dominant hand has been extremely trying. I’ve spent the last few years learning how to crochet and write with my left hand, as I don’t want to give up the things that bring me joy due circumstances beyond my control.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being knowledgeable and true to myself has definitely helped build my reputation. I do my best to find out as much as possible about each piece that I am selling, and I work hard to mend and restore items when I can. I have a unique sense of style and constantly say that I won’t put anything out that I wouldn’t wear myself. I am true to who I am and what I like, which means I’m actually excited and invested in the pieces I sell.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @saratonin_vintage
• Other: [email protected]