Sandy Hook's 'Labels + Tags' Shop Is A Fashionable Homecoming

Christine Ruzek knows this house.

The owner of Labels + Tags in Sandy Hook spent the first six years of her life in the building that now serves as her brand-new fashion resale shop.

"And I loved it," she says. "I've treated it like a gem."

Her father ran a home business from the building at 10 Glen Road, and she still remembers the tire swing and sandbox in the back yard. The walls may be filled with carefully selected clothing now, but it's still home to her.

"I wanted to come home," she says. "I knew this would be a great spot, and it would be appreciated here — it was an opportunity to give the people here something they didn't have."

Labels + Tags is a fashion resale shop offering "beautifully kept clothing" — Ruzek buys entire wardrobes right in the store, which officially opened its doors Saturday.

"People bring me bags and bags," she says. "Things that still have tags on them — it could have a label that say Forever 21 or Chanel, as long as it's in beautiful condition. And I think there's a market for it."

Labels + Tags offers clothes for women, men and kids — as long as the customer wants it, she says, she'll sell it.

"We do try to follow trends," she says, and she's up-to-date on the latest fall fashions.

"There's the blue trend, and all the florals that have been out for the fall. There's also been a ton of plaid. But it's all sold already, so now I need to buy more!"

Ruzek says her prices will stay reasonable — that's another advantage of eschewing New York for Sandy Hook.

"I don't think there's anything in my store other than a Chanel bag that's more than $100," she says. "I want people to say I'd love a new top for tomorrow and walk into the meeting feeling like a million bucks but not having spent it."

Ruzek, who graduated from Bethel High School, moved to New York and Los Angeles to work as a corporate recruiter (full disclosure: she worked for Patch during this time.) But she decided she wanted to bring the fashion resale ethos to her hometown.

"Even when I was in the city, if I wanted a pair of Tom's Shoes in a particular color, I waited to buy them here so I could give the money to Sandy Hook. I always wanted this to be the town I grew up in. It's so charming — you knew the butchers and the people at the deli."

Now, she says, she's getting to know the same business owners as a new part of Sandy Hook's business community.

"I want to be part of this community as it becomes everything it can be," she says.