A Vintage Shop Rooted in Heart and Self-Expression
How This Mother-Daughter Duo Turned Their Passion for Thrifting Into a Joyful Brick and Mortar on Rantoul Street
Tucked away in a colorful, welcoming corner of the community is a store that feels more like a cozy living room than a retail space. Here at Second Rodeo, clothing racks brim with character, and each item holds a story — not just of fashion, but of history, memory, and reinvention. This isn’t just a shop. It’s the realized dream of a mother-daughter team whose shared love for vintage treasures has blossomed into something far bigger than they ever imagined.
From a young age, the Emily Putur and Mary Scott bonded over thrifting adventures and vintage hauls with grandparents, turning a shared hobby into a family tradition. That love eventually grew into a full-fledged business rooted in sustainability, nostalgia, and style without boundaries. “We’ve always been passionate about making use of what’s already here and already great,” Emily shares. “We wanted to create a space that felt bright, colorful, homey — somewhere people could truly feel like themselves.”
At its core, the store celebrates individuality. Unlike trend-driven retailers, it invites customers to explore, play, and piece together their own unique identities through fashion. “We don’t want to tell people what to wear,” Emily explains. “We want to give them the tools for self-expression — to build their own personal brands, which we just adore.”
As first-time business owners, Emily and Mary are the first to admit the learning curve has been steep. With no formal background in business, every day presents a new challenge — and a new opportunity to learn. “Every single detail has been a lesson,” Emily reflects. “But every day we stay open feels like a victory.”
Despite the long hours and blurred lines between work and life, they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. “It doesn’t feel like work. It feels like fun,” Mary shares. “We get to be creative every single day — and call that our job. It’s such a joy. And we hope our shoppers feel that joy when they walk through the door.”
Second Rodeo stands as a testament to what’s possible when passion meets purpose. It’s a place where stories live on through vintage pieces, where fashion is a form of freedom, and where everyone is welcome to be exactly who they are.
