Working Women’s Apparel owner Lisa Haacker focuses heavily on 1940s and 1950s-style clothing.
Modern and vintage clothing are side-by-side at Working Women’s Apparel in Orchards.
Many clothing stores claim to carry unique items accented by personalized service but few actually do. For nearly two years now, Working Women’s Apparel in Orchards has built a loyal clientele with distinct fashion sense by delivering on both those promises.
When owner Lisa Haacker decided to open Working Women’s, she knew there would be a heavy focus on her favorite era — the 1940s and 1950s — mixed with a modern twist. As a result she was the first shop in the U.S. to carry the clothing line, Miss Candyfloss, and fun and funky shoe line, Lola Ramona out of Amsterdam.
Over the last two years her retro offerings have expanded to include Lindy Bop, Hearts and Roses, Bettie Page, Pinup Couture, Heart of Haute and other successful vintage labels.
Haacker often hears women share that they enjoy the retro style but don’t care so much for shopping in retro/vintage clothing stores. All her pieces are brand new and hand selected to be functional and attractive.
“I have always loved retro. My mother was a child of the 50’s so I grew up with it. That period of time, as far as apparel, was figure-flattering for every body style. It was feminine but versatile; comfortable, covered but sexy. You didn’t have to show everything to feel good,” Haacker said.
Contemporary labels such as Charter Club, Levi’s Style & Co. and Michael Kors share equal space affording a little something for everyone and an opportunity for Haacker to do what she does best — blend old with new.
One example of her personalized service is the story of a young gal who came in with her mom shopping for a semi-formal school dance. She wasn’t all-in with the formal attire concept so Haacker took a formal black dress, paired it with a fitted jean jacket and boots from her inventory and the smile on her new customer’s face when she saw the ensemble in the mirror was all the thanks Haacker needed.
Drawing out a lady’s personal style and helping them create just the right look is her favorite part of owning Working Women’s. After helping another client with two retro outfits — one of which she wore out of the store — the client told Haacker that she had never felt so feminine or beautiful. Haacker overheard her new customer on the phone with her husband saying, “I’m picking you up for dinner. Wait ‘til you see me.”
You won’t find trendy ripped, tattered or torn jeans at Working Women’s. Haacker caters to the office professional look and receives a lot of praise from women seeking out work-appropriate jeans for business casual day.
Sizes range from 2 to goddess — or size 24 — because Haacker does “not like to be categorized as a plus size.” She also carries scarves, jewelry and handbags, the majority of which have a vintage design. Throughout the shop, she highlights locally-made or sold items such as jewelry crafted by a lady in Stevenson, boot caps fashioned by another woman in the community and a few Scentsy items brought in by another local resident.
Among the flattering, feminine and functional apparel, people will find a selection of non-lethal protection tools. Examples include deactivating stun guns, self-defense keychains and pepper spray with UV dye. She strongly recommends the personal alarms that she carries be attached to children’s backpacks. The 90-120 decibel alarm “causes people to stop and look around,” according to Haacker.
During the holiday season customers will also find a drop off for the Angels on Wheels Toy Drive for the Randall Children’s Hospital. Bring in an unwrapped toy for this worthy cause and receive $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. Additionally, Haacker works with 2014 Mrs. Vancouver, Lisa Jacobs, on her Project Handbag. Haacker was one of Jacobs’ apparel sponsors and helps gather gently used handbags to fill with women’s toiletries and give to homeless ladies.
Integrating new pieces into an existing wardrobe and creating several outfits from key accessories is Haacker’s specialty. A simple change of a jacket can take a look from the office to watching the kiddos on the ball field; removing a belt or switching out jewelry can dress up an ensemble; dress slacks by day can become pencil slacks with boots by night for cocktails or to meet up with friends for a picnic; and one well-made sweater can go with multiple skirts or slacks.
“With women’s lives — work, family and all we do — it’s hard to take time out to find appropriate apparel for our professional life,” Haacker said. “My shop focuses on get in, get personal attention and quality clothing for an affordable price and get out there.”
Haacker’s reputation for styling has garnered her praise from Mike Long, owner of Portland Pin-Ups. He often sends his clients to Working Women’s to supplement their outfits for his vintage-themed custom photo shoots.
“Yes, I do refer my clients to Lisa at Working Women’s Apparel, and some of them have found some stunning outfits for their sessions with us. They all say that Lisa is awesome and helps make great selections,” Long said.
