Business spotlight: Boutique aims to offer secondhand clothing that is first rate

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

Name of Business: Cowboys and Angels Children's Boutique

Type of business: Retail, photography

Owner: Leah Raveglia

Founded: 2010

Address: 240 Oak St., Brentwood

Phone number: 925-626-3856

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Number of Employees: One

Products and services: Cowboys and Angels Children's Boutique offers two services. One is a full-service children's clothing consignment store featuring pre-owned quality clothing. Clothing is for boys and girls with an emphasis on girls wear. The store sells all types with sizes newborn to eight.
 Each Wednesday, owner Leah Raveglia takes in new consignment orders.

Raveglia also offers a line of handmade clothing. The clothing is produced under her own name, Leah Raveglia. Currently, she is making a lot of girls clothing — everything from dresses, shirts, pants, skirts and custom-made tutus and dresses.

She also makes a line of boys clothing, blankets, headbands and more. The sizes run from newborn to eight. Raveglia also is working on increasing the line to fit preteens up to size 14.

Also featured at Cowboys and Angels is a full portrait studio. Portraits start at $25 per child, and consists of one sitting with all the pictures on disk. Other packages are available.

Raveglia said she encourages the children to dress up and have fun. She has various backdrops and props available to make the experience fun. She offers photography services for all ages, and is available for one child or a whole family.

How did you get into the business?: Raveglia said that when her daughter was younger, she loved to shop in quality secondhand stores. As her family moved around, she found fewer and fewer stores with secondhand clothes.

She saw a need for both sides of the businesses in the Brentwood area and decided to open her own place.

Best part about the business?: "I just love everything about the business," she said. Raveglia said that she especially likes spending time with her customers and getting to know them and their children.
She also likes having the chance to sew all day. She set up a sewing machine in front of the store, and sews whenever she gets the chance.

Worst part about the business?: "I can't really think of anything that I don't like," she said. "I am just so happy that I get to be in this business."

Key to success: "I don't really know yet," she said. "But I really think that it takes making the mom and children happy, and you'll be a crowd pleaser."

Biggest misperception about the business: "People think when they hear secondhand store that they are going to a thrift shop," Raveglia said. "Coming here is like coming to a boutique. All of the clothes are high quality, and the prices are reasonable."

Future plans: Raveglia plans to keep making her clothing line and add more styles and designs. She also is going to continue to add sizes to her preteen line.