Upscale pre-owned women’s boutique Top Buttons signs lease at Camden Central in downtown St. Pete
/Top Buttons, an upscale pre-owned women’s boutique will offer clothing, shoes, belts, and other accessories. Pictured is the Top Buttons location in Winter Haven, FL
An upscale women’s boutique specializing in pre-owned designer clothing, shoes, and accessories has signed a lease at Camden Central in downtown St. Pete.
Top Buttons hopes to open by the end of the year at 855 Central Avenue Suite C. The space is located along Central Avenue adjacent to BurgerFi.
The St. Pete-based company operates as a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable and educational organization with the mission of empowering women who have been a victim of human trafficking, abuse, and addiction.
Sara Garas, CEO of Top Buttons St. Pete
According to their website, “Our teaching is centered on understanding your identity in Christ and our resources filter out the unnecessary sexually-related material that is commonly associated with the fashion industry and showcase contextually modest versions of current fashion trends.”
The St. Pete shop will be the fourth for Top Buttons, which also has locations in Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven.
“St. Pete is an incredible city on the rise,” said Sara Garas, CEO of Top Buttons St. Pete, in a recent conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We are so excited to join the downtown St. Pete community and cannot wait to begin helping the community through our boutique and nonprofit services.”
Although the boutique will be stocked with items donated by St. Pete locals, the clothes will look completely new. Top Buttons St. Pete will not accept any items with fading colors, stains, or holes.
The shop will be divided between high-end and casual brands with prices typically ranging from $15 to $50 per piece.
Top Buttons will be located at 855 Central Avenue Suite C on the ground floor of Camden Central
Along with clothing, Top Buttons will offer shoes, belts, purses, and other accessories. And although most items at the shop will be pre-owned, the boutique will also carry brand new accessories made by fair-trade or local companies.
All the profit from selling the donated clothes will go towards helping victimized girls in the community.
Top Buttons runs a program called Wearing Confidence, where young at-risk girls working with other local nonprofit organizations, such as PACE Center for Girls, Heartland for Children, Girls Inc, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America, are offered a variety of benefits from Top Buttons.
Once a week, after the shop has closed for the night, Top Buttons will host a group of girls from the Wearing Confidence program to take part in a wardrobe makeover, personal styling services, and faith-based educational sessions on topics such as “On the Job Attire,” “Self-Compassion,” and “Positive Body Image."
Although the boutique will be stocked with items donated by St. Pete locals, the clothes will look completely new. Top Buttons St. Pete will not accept any items with fading colors, stains, or holes.
Being involved in the Top Buttons organization is not the first time Sara Garas has dedicated herself to helping victimized girls. This has been a lifelong pursuit for her.
“I grew up in Egypt where women are typically looked down upon and seen as secondary,” said Garas. “I’ve made it my mission to help increase self-worth and education in women.”
After graduating college, Garas worked for Proctor and Gamble for 12 years in countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, and Belgium. In every market, she participated in charity campaigns helping women.
After resigning from Proctor and Gamble, her husband’s job took her to Thailand.
“In Thailand and Asia, human trafficking is just so in your face on every corner,” said Garas. “Sometimes the girls accidentally get pregnant and then don’t want their kids because it’ll keep them from working. So, they abandon them. It’s heartbreaking.”
Once a month, Top Buttons will close to the public and host a group of girls working with other local nonprofit organizations, such as PACE Center for Girls, Heartland for Children, Girls Inc, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America
After spending a few years in Thailand, Garas and her husband moved to St. Pete in 2012 to be closer to family.
“When I arrived in Florida, I was naïve in thinking that there was not a human trafficking problem here,” said Garas. “But then after researching, I realized how big it is in the US. Florida is the third biggest state suffering from human trafficking, and Pinellas County is one of the worst counties in the state.”
Garas and her team hope to make a meaningful impact in the community through the clothing boutique, educational events, and programs for teens in need.
Top Buttons hopes to open by the end of the year at 855 Central Avenue Suite C on the ground floor of Camden Central. The hours of operation will follow other clothing stores on Central Avenue, which are typically open from 11 am to 6 pm daily.
Top BUttons will occasionally host fundraiser events, such as fashion shows, that will raise money to help victimized girls in the local community
After the store is open, all clothes donations can be dropped off at the store during normal business hours. If you’d like to donate clothes, send an email to Sara Garas at sara@tbstpete.org.
Be sure to follow Top Buttons St. Pete on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on new clothing arrivals and grand opening plans. Visit their website for more information and to make a donation.
