Located at 118 Washington St. in Binghamton, Mabel D. Orr Fashion Boutique is an eclectic vintage store that sells unique secondhand clothing, as well as vintage-inspired contemporary clothing and accessories.
Decorated with gold trim mirrors, French Rococo-style furniture, scattered vintage heels and warmly lit lamps, the store cultivates a welcoming and lived-in environment. The boutique’s owner, Heidi Weeks of Binghamton, acquires the store’s clothing and accessories from consignors, local closets and estates.
“Shopping in my store is like shopping in my living room,” Weeks wrote in an email. “And Mabel D. Orr is an experience store. I have decorated it with family photos and artwork, furniture, ornate lamps, and lots of BoHo chic style. My staff and I love to help people with personal styling. Shopping for clothing can sometimes be very tiresome and intimidating and we like to make everyone feel comfortable. Each person has their own style that can be built on.”
Unlike the standard secondhand clothing store, Mabel D. Orr focuses on unique and detailed pieces of clothing, many of which include lace, embroidery or vibrant patterns. The store offers anything from decades fashion and vintage-inspired accessories to lingerie to graphic socks and skincare, all existing in this wonderfully niche spot of fashion and gift-giving.
As a lover of vintage clothing, Weeks has a long history with fashion and styling. She said that she and her sister had been shopping secondhand since they were in high school and had since then looked forward to opening a boutique of their own. In May 2013, Weeks and her sister pursued that dream with their first opening of Mabel D. Orr in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where Weeks and her sister grew the store’s charm and brand.
After spending three seasons on Cape Cod, Weeks reopened Mabel D. Orr in her hometown of Binghamton in 2016. For two years the store was located on Clinton Street, a historic boulevard that houses Antique Row, a cluster of eclectic secondhand stores. The store was then moved to the heart of Downtown Binghamton on Washington Street in 2018. Beyond being a vintage store owner, Weeks’ love for fashion extends into her 35 years of professional acting, as it provides her the opportunity to work with costumes and older clothing.
Reflecting on the responsibilities of being a business owner, Weeks highlights the importance of secondhand shopping.
“I think the most valuable part of owning my own vintage store is that I’m helping to recycle previously loved clothing,” Weeks wrote. “The world is filled with almost 6 generations of unwanted clothing. I like to breathe new life into them and display them in a way that makes them loved again. I also have a strong mission of keeping clothing out of our landfills. Recycling and repurposing is something that I’ve always believed in. Plus, you never know what’s going to walk through that door. I love what I do.”
“I like to think that we are in the business of clothing rescue,” Weeks added.