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The store, now two years old, is a metamorphis of her mom’s store, arts & ends, which stood in the same location for 40 years.
“Retailing and fashion are in my blood,” said Skelton. “I grew up in her store buying, doing displays and helping customers.”
The Upper Saddle River resident, who worked as a longtime buyer for various department and chain stores before starting her own decorating business, saw an opportunity when her mother retired.
“I had always wanted to create an affordable trendy clothing store where mothers and daughters can shop together and both find the perfect looks,” she said.
The goal at Threads, stressed Skelton, is to offer "fashionable looks without breaking the bank."
Among the items she carries: Free People, Vintage Havannah, Junk Food, Chaser, Peace Love Wirld, Flying Monkey Jeans, Santuary, and Verinica M.
For fall she is selling a lot of flannels, fringe, boot leg pants, skinny destresed jeans, t-shirt dresses, swingy thermals, cold shoulder chunky sweaters, and cozy sweats.
Also popular: her custom-made college shirts.
Bags, shoes and handbags are also big sellers since she expanded her store in July.
Skelton said the store would never have happened without the support of her husband. A longtime single mother, he was the one who pushed her to open a brick and mortar location. (They've been married a year and a half.)
Skelton said the two went to shops all over the county to get ideas. “It was him that built the store with pipes from Home Depot and was on his hands and knees installing the floor,” she said.
And it was the two of them together deciding on pricing, manning the register, and so on before she was finally able to hire staff.
"You can see why Threads is a magical place for me," she said. "I have a dream job and my dream man,” she said.
Threads is at 149 Westwood Ave., (201) 664-1697, www.threadswestwood.com/.
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