A new thrift store is bringing affordable clothes to members of the trans community, as well as a fiercely community-centric approach to retail.
Margie’s Closet officially opened its doors in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 5. The wholesome and handsomely outfitted store is the dream of local organizer Jacob Nash, who knew he had a special idea after organizing a pop-up designed to create a safe shopping experience for local trans folks. Too many people Nash knew were getting ill-fitting clothes online because they felt uncomfortable browsing in person. The wonder he witnessed at the pop-up convinced him that a more permanent solution was necessary.
“When my community was telling me about all the obstacles they were facing in simply purchasing shoes, clothing and accessories, I knew we had to do better,” Nash, who is also the president of Margie’s Hope, a broader nonprofit aimed at assisting the trans community, tells them. “We had to create a safe space not just to buy clothing, but also to empower the community to love themselves.”
That space became Margie’s Closet, a donation-based, volunteer-run thrift store in Cleveland’s Lakewood neighborhood. The clothes are virtually all second-hand and affordable, with most customers able to curate an entire outfit for less than $20. The vibe is that of a beloved neighborhood coffee shop, where shoppers linger near the front register long after they’ve made their purchase, and often without even having made one.
When one of the volunteers needs an emergency living space, the managers act quickly to find a way to house them and their family. “We are so much more than a store,” Nash says. “We are a community.”
How does Margie’s Closet make good on that promise? It starts with a loving and dedicated team, which includes Nash, treasurer Tom Knepper, programs managers Tabi Barbu, donations manager Danielle Schultz, and Monika Veliz, who oversees floor operations. Then there are the countless young volunteers, many of whom are queer and trans, who come to the store several days a week to blast Evanescence and make new friends while sorting clothes and assisting customers.
Margie’s Closet also works with the local Cleveland LGBTQ+ Center to offer a voucher system through which community members can get needed items free of charge.
“When someone goes into the Center in need of clothes — for a job interview or for any reason — they can be directed to us with a voucher, and that essentially works like cash,” says Barbu, who runs the program. “Whatever they need, whether it’s a pair of pants, some shirts, a binder, or a wig, we will make sure they get it.”
At Margie’s Closet, staff and volunteers not only help gender-nonconforming customers find what they need, but also make the experience fun and welcoming. “The last thing we want to do is push,” Barbu explains of her approach to new customers. “We want to give them space, though after someone’s been looking for a good 15 minutes, we like to grab something we know will look good, and ask if they’d like to try it on.”
“What may start out as a basic conversation often turns into making a new friend, into making a difference in somebody’s life, into helping confirm for someone they are who they are; that we love them for who they are, and goddamnit they look fabulous,” Barbu continues.
As a nonprofit, Margie’s Closet is not about making money, according to Nash. It’s about providing a safe and affirming shopping experience and making trans people feel proud of who they are. When he learns about an especially significant purchase — a first binder, for instance — he opts not to accept payment.
“That’s one of the best things we get to do,” Nash says, “provide individuals within the community with those important items to help them feel like themselves for nothing.”
Even when not giving out first binders for free, Nash makes a point of selling them at much more affordable price points: where the average binder from gc2b (Margie’s main supplier, besides donations) is likely to cost around $40, buyers can get one at Margie’s Closet for $25.
The inspiration for this mentality came from the woman for whom Margie’s Closet was named, Nash’s late mother. His voice coarse with sincerity, Nash shares that ever since he was a child, his mom would tell him, “If anybody needs something and you have it, you provide it.”
“That's how my mother always was,” he says, and that’s the role he intends his store to play in the community. “Even though she didn't get an opportunity to truly see me as I am now, she gave me those tools so that I could continue to carry out the mission she started in my life.”
Although they clearly appreciate the value of a great outfit as much as anyone, the team behind Margie’s Closet also knows that beautiful clothes alone can’t protect the trans community from an ongoing legislative assault threatening their livelihoods. In a year that has seen a record number of bills targeting transgender people across the country, Ohio lawmakers recently snuck language into a state budget that will allow medical providers to potentially refuse treatment to LGBTQ+ people.
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A bill attempting to bar trans girls from youth sports did not pass following multiple attempts but is likely to be introduced again next year.
“I think of those youth or our elders in the community that may not have folks to speak up for them,” Nash says. “We will. I will go into whatever hospital with anybody to be an advocate, if they need it, because we need to stand together.”
When asked what signal she hopes Margie’s Closet sends in the face of such dangerous attacks, Schultz, the proud mother of a trans child, wells with emotion. “I’m not much of a speaker on the fly,” she says, “so I wrote this down.” Reading from her phone, Schultz offers this message: “You are a beautiful human. You deserve a good life — every happiness, an exciting future. And if you need us to, we’ll be your family.”
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