Rising Stars: Meet Maci Shaw of Lees Summit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maci Shaw.

Hi Maci, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Rags started with me simply wanting to feel like me in what I wear. I fell in love with thrifting because I could find pieces that felt one-of-a-kind, things I knew no one else had. Whether it was the perfect pair of jeans or a random graphic tee, if it fit just right and felt personal, it lit me up. That’s when I realized it wasn’t just about clothes. It’s about self-expression. I first started reselling through my Snapchat story early in high school. I loved the idea of giving my clothes a second life. It felt intentional, sustainable, and exciting. For every business project in my senior year of high school, I pitched the same idea: a secondhand store where clothes were organized by style. Not just aisles of randomness, but somewhere people could find pieces that looked and felt like them to help them express themselves. Eventually, I stopped treating it like a class idea and started treating it like something real. People were already reselling, what I wanted to do was take it a step further. After graduating high school, I committed. I started an Instagram and TikTok page, my mom helped build the website, and on September 1, 2024, Rags officially launched.

The early days were slow, and honestly, I didn’t see the sales I expected. But I was still in love with what I was doing; I just didn’t have the right words yet to explain why it mattered. That clarity came later. The gap I see in other thrift stores is that you never really know if your going to find something that feels like you. So at Rags, we organize everything by one of eight defined styles: Classics, Throwbacks, Dark & Dramatic, Athleisure, Nature Lovin’, Cowboy Boot Lovin’, Streetwear Essentials, and Eclectic. So that at the very least, you have a starting point. You’re not just browsing by size or item type, you’re looking at a rack curated to match your vibe. “Rags Restyled 4u” means exactly that: we take thrifted clothes (“rags”), we restyle and organize them with intention, and we do it all for you to help you find what feels like you.

A few early wins gave me confidence, like having a loyal group of followers from the start. In March 2025, I opened a booth at Merchant Square, which was a major moment. It finally brought the brand into the physical world, though I still crave more in-person interaction; I want to meet the people, share the energy, and bring the brand’s message to life. Another win we had here recently was our first event ran by Rags. This event, which we plan to continue, is called ‘Rags Shoot & Shop: A Trunk Sale’ where resellers, vendors, and food trucks come together to celebrate style, self expression, and the community’s uniqueness. Resellers sell out of the trunks of their car to make the experience unique and personal. I’d say our first event was a success! We hosted a free photoshoot to capture everyone’s unique style and it was beautiful to see how unique we all are in this community.

Most of my inventory comes from sourcing at the bins, but I’ve also brought on others to help. A small-town sourcer named Bre in Tennessee helps me find gems, and now I’m working with local thrifters to source pieces for my first business trip, where I’ll be selling at a fashion magazine launch party in San Diego. We also collect donations & inventory from resellers.
The part I’m most proud of isn’t the clothing, it’s the message. I truly believe in the power of feeling good in what you wear. When you feel like your outfit reflects you, it changes everything. I want people to feel safe to explore, express, and evolve in their style, no matter what’s trending. I’m building a community that cares about how clothes make us feel, not just how they look. I also have a blog that goes more in depth on Rags passion for self expression through clothing. You can find that on our website!

Where’s it going? My own brick & mortar, consistent community events, an app where Rags creates a portfolio of your style to help you build a wardrobe that feels like you (with so many other features), a monthly fashion magazine, and more. I plan on becoming a household name in the local thrift scene. Rags isn’t just another resell brand, it’s a movement.

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?
Definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that’s the beauty of it. In the beginning, I had all the excitement and passion, but not a lot of direction. I launched Rags thinking people would instantly get it, and when they didn’t, I had to learn how to explain it and how to clearly communicate the heart behind the brand. I knew I was offering something different, but figuring out how to get others to see that took time. There were slow sales. There were moments where I questioned if people would actually connect with the idea of shopping by style. I’ve poured so much time and energy into sourcing, photographing, organizing, and marketing, and it takes a lot of vulnerability to show up consistently when you’re not getting immediate results. Financially, too, I’ve had to learn how to balance affordability with sustainability, especially when I started bringing on others to help with sourcing. I want to make it worth it for them and for me, and that’s been a learning curve. But the struggles taught me how to show up with more intention, more clarity, and more resilience. Every challenge has sharpened my vision for what Rags will be and every person who resonates with my brand along the way makes all the bumps in the road worth it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a creative, writing has always been my deepest outlet. It’s where I feel most connected to myself. From my sophomore year to senior year in high school, I nearly finished writing my first book, and that process felt like putting my soul on paper. I’ve also hosted two podcasts that gained a lot of support from my classmates and community, and those experiences really led me to where I am now: expressing myself fully through my business, Rags Restyled 4u. While I still love writing and podcasting, time has shifted toward growing Rags, a brand that’s just as much about storytelling as anything else. Within the next year, I’m letting go of a big chapter: finishing school (I’ll graduate with my associate’s in August!) and stepping away from part-time work to pour fully into what I love. That freedom feels like a full-circle moment.

How do you think about happiness?
Seeing people truly step into who they are at their core, including myself, makes me so happy. Whether it’s through how we dress, what we do for work, our hobbies, the way we carry ourselves, I love watching people live in alignment with their purpose, not someone else’s expectations. That’s a huge part of why I do what I do. For a long time, I lived trying to fit in, trying to be what I thought other people wanted me to be. But that gets exhausting fast. Choosing to be fully myself, through my style, my business, and how I show up in the world, has been the most freeing and fun thing I’ve ever done. And if Rags can help even one person feel more like themselves, then I’m doing something right and living my purpose.

Pricing:

• I keep my pricing at thrift store pricing!
• You won’t see crazy pricing on vintage items, for example.
• Tops no where above $10-12
• Bottoms no more than $20

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ragsrestyled4u.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ragsrestyled4u/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ragsrestyled4u/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maci-shaw-0250592a3/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ragsrestyled4u
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ragsrestyled4U