BFFs and Bergen County Moms Virginia Rodriguez and Natasha Torres had always thought of themselves as fashionable, hot mamas, but they’d be damned before they were about to shell out big bucks for maternity clothes they’d only get mere months’ wear out of.
“I didn’t have the money to spend $125 on jeans. Neither did Virginia. We ended up just recycling them between us,” says Torres. “There have been times where we’ve discussed our struggles as moms followed with ‘I wish this was invented.’ -- something that would just make being a mom a little easier.” Being able to stay in clothes that made them feel and look good during pregnancy without spending a small fortune was one of them.
Now, the duo of working moms have gone and invented just that themselves with Savvy Preggo – a virtual maternity consignment store meant to be a fashion haven for expectant moms looking to build a trendy wardrobe on a budget. Women who no longer need their maternity clothes can sign a consignment contract and schedule a pickup online while moms to be can log on and shop brands from A Pea in the Pod to J Brand to BCBG to Ann Taylor Loft. The plan is to have both a storefront location and an app within the next six months.
Sure, you’ve been to consignment stores before, but there are a couple of things that set Savvy Preggo apart, says Torres. First off, the pick-up service. “That’s definitely our most unique selling point. We are surrounded by moms, most of which are colleagues, friends, and, family and when they’re cleaning they just end up throwing stuff they don’t need out,” she says, adding that filling a box with clothes to donate or consign may come with good intentions but it simply doesn’t work. “Those boxes always wound up back in the closet or basement because we just don’t have time to take them somewhere.”
The other point is that the service is only for maternity wear. Think about it: When you finally get around to giving up an old sweater or pair of jeans, they’re typically years old and hard-worn. Maternity pieces, meanwhile, usually have had a pretty short shelf life in your closet, which means they’re usually in close-to-mint condition.
“Our goal is to give mothers a sense of ease that there is a place where finding clothes is not a financial burden, especially when budgeting for the costs of what’s to come when a baby arrives,” Torres explains. “We want to promote the idea of making pregnancy fashionable and affordable, because as moms we go through oh so much so we deserve to have a wardrobe we actually like.”
The Savvy Preggo, thesavvypreggo.com, 862-283-0351
