GREENFIELD — With her apparel and home goods shop now open for business at 16 Miles St., self-proclaimed treasure hunter Jess Rooney feels confident that what she brings to the table is “something that people crave.”
Apt. One, named after Rooney’s childhood apartment in Pittsford, Vermont, is a small retail space featuring curated goods “with a focus on beauty, fun and thoughtful design,” the shop owner described. Merchandise includes “thoughtfully made new collections” from collaborating businesses, as well as a “new-to-you” section that has everything from cottagecore and farmcore apparel to clothing with an “edgier, sexier, less expected look.” Rooney explained all items are on non-gendered displays and feature “a shop-specific sizing system meant to promote inclusivity and a sense of belonging for all types of folks.”
Although she technically opened her doors at the end of March, Rooney enjoyed an official opening on June 3. This milestone followed a yearlong search for a brick-and-mortar storefront that felt right to her.
“Being part of a downtown was a huge priority for me. … When I asked my Realtor to come show me this space, it had the iconic downtown shop windows, which for me, was what had to be part of my vision for the shop,” she said of finding the space. Previously, the 16 Mile St. location has housed a call and support center, an antique store and a rehearsal space for an experimental music group.
The inside was less appealing at the time Rooney began her lease on Feb. 1, she recalled, describing the space as “kind of crusty” and “sort of a box.” It “started taking form” in March, however, as new walls, new flooring and new paint were added.
What really gives the shop personality, however, is its contents. She said she feels “pretty professional” as a curator of wares that fit her shop’s aesthetic. Her methods range from browsing Vermont barn sales and scanning roadsides to contacting merchants in pursuit of specific items, such as wind shorts.
“Some of it is deep-dive research,” she said. “I’ll just go down a rabbit hole.”
Rooney takes pride in having a selection that welcomes those whose body types, gender identities and other personal attributes don’t necessarily “align with what society is expecting.” She recognized that there is sometimes “emotional baggage” that comes with browsing a rack labeled in a way that doesn’t align with how they identify in an effort to find clothes that feel right.
“As a queer woman, I have a special and expansive take on how people can dress, what they may love to try and how homes and bodies are invaluable forms of self and community expression,” Rooney expressed.
She added that she hopes to host classes as another way of providing people with “a loving space to explore beauty, themselves, each other and their passions.” Classes, which would be taught by guest teachers, may include lessons on mending, floral design, jewelry making, stained glassblowing or figure drawing. Rooney plans to begin hosting these classes monthly by the end of the year.
Apt. One will typically be open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, except for on Thursdays, when the shop will close early and reopen from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to coincide with summer concerts at Energy Park. Once the school year begins, the shop will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, as well as from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
“I really would love people to come down Miles Street,” Rooney said. “For now, I have a clear vision and point of view, and am focused on building community and teaching people that we exist and what we have to offer.”
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.