Tracy Albrecht is having a great time at RetroFit in this 1950s Bobbisox Ice Scream dress and Sourpuss martini drink crop sweater.
Lana Pierce, owner of Sidetown’s RetroFit, remembers how retail used to be. “My grandmother worked at JCPenney’s in the late 70s. I still have her nametag.” Pierce recalls the tenderness her grandmother had with each shopper. She told them when they looked good … or didn’t.
Pierce also recalls her grandmother’s refusal to upsell just to turn a profit, and how customers would smile as she folded each piece into a white box – a tradition the shop strives to continue.
Cognizant of the opportunities in Hot Springs to sell retro-themed clothing, décor, and music, Pierce set out to capture the eyes of tourists and the loyalty of locals. “We started during Covid, during a fledgling recession, during late fall. Everything was stacked against us. And then Hot Springs turned out for us in droves.”
Pierce wanted to offer a variety of decades in clothing sizes up to 5x, to create somewhere locals and tourists could find ‘their best look in any era,’ and that became the shop motto. “We can outfit anyone from a turn-of-the-century wedding gown, to a sockhop skirt, or psychedelic pants, but what sets us apart is our attention to the customer: their needs, tastes, and budget. We operate on the principles of affordability, quality, size, and lifestyle inclusion.”
RetroFit is located in the bright pink building at 315 Ouachita Avenue and is open daily from 10 AM until dark. The shop is pet-friendly and child-friendly and is LGBTQ allied. You can find them on Facebook: The Retro Fit
and on Instagram @HotSpringsRetroFit.
