Meet Maria Casteel of Crossroads

The goal of our shop is to curate timeless and modern silhouettes that make women feel good in their skin. We want the clothing we offer to bring out the inner beauty of each woman and help add confidence, comfort, and creativity to their life.  For our vintage selection, we choose items that will never go out of style. You will never feel like you are in a costume in our clothing. We search for special designer vintage pieces that will make you gasp, but we also offer everyday items like your favorite linen trouser or silk blouse.

We have worked effortlessly over the past 6 years to create a place where women can feel heard, gain inspiration, and find something special for themselves. With the help of social media, we have built a brand that exudes the type of women we aspire to be. Regarding our in-store experience, we try to always treat our customers with care. From the careful design of the displays and the shop decor to always lighting a candle and curating beautiful playlists, we hope that each customer feels both comfortable and inspired.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A few years ago our entire shop flooded due to a tenant above our space and that was an incredibly challenging time. All of our displays and products were destroyed. But we used it as a time to recreate and reimagine ourselves and it only made us stronger in the end.

The pandemic has obviously been an obstacle too. We have worked long hours to ensure every product was online so that we could make enough to pay the bills during that time. We are so thankful for our loyal customers who helped us get through when our brick and mortar shop had to be closed during the lockdown.

Through these obstacles, I have learned that hard work can overcome almost anything and that if you stay true to your vision, your customers will find you and will support you.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We strive to create beautiful imagery at Dear Society. We don’t just want to rely on our brands for images of the clothing. Instead we want to show our vision of how it should be worn. I take turns with Chanel as the lead photographer on our shoots and have grown a lot in this skill. We are also intentional about the styling of each outfit. I am constantly trying to think of new ways an item could be worn or styled so that the versatility of each piece can be showcased. Photoshoot days are some of my favorites because you never know what you might be able to create or how an item could be worn in a new way.

In my role at Dear Society, I also spend a lot of time mending, reconstructing, and recreating vintage items that we find. Sometimes we decide a piece would be more modern and wearable with a shorter hem or altered in some way and I have completed many of these alterations. A lot of the items we find need mending or washing so I have become adept at hand sewing and handwashing as well. I have spent many hours bringing items back to life so that they can go on in the world and be loved instead of thrown out.

I have learned a lot about each era of clothing and while there is always more to learn, I help my team by bringing that knowledge of the history of clothing. How we dress can impact our mood, our confidence, and our creativity and whether someone is buying vintage or modern I want the clothing we offer at Dear Society to help them feel their very best.

Contact Info:

• Email: dearsocietyshop@gmail.com
• Website: www.dearsocietyshop.com
• Instagram: @shopdearsociety

Image Credits
Chanel Jezek and Maria casteel