Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Hague.
Hi Chris, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Personally I have been managing in Retail for 16 years. I was in corporate retail for the first 14 years, and I have been the Store Manager for The Clothes Rack for the last 2 years. The store itself has been operating for decades prior to me taking over. The Junior League of Richmond, a non profit organization made up of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action is who owns and operates the store. The Clothes Rack is the largest source of fundraising for The Junior League, and our sales lead directly back into our community. I was really drawn to the organization and the position because of that. Having worked in corporate retail for so long, it was great to switch to something that I can see in real time making an impact and where the money goes. I have been thrifting for over 20 years, so it’s an added bonus that I get to work directly with one of my passions.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Generally speaking, it’s been smooth. The team itself is great, they’re all very passionate about thrift and secondhand, and they love this city and the people in it. Plus, they know their work directly benefits the community, so we’re all very grateful to be able to work somewhere so cool. Our regulars are also excellent. We’re sort of a neighborhood shop so we get to see the same faces each week which Is really nice.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Clothes Rack/The Junior League. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Junior League of Richmond is a group of women working together to make Richmond a better place, and The Clothes Rack is just a logical extension of that. We’re all focused on helping women build leadership skills, getting involved in the community, and working with other organizations to actually make a difference. In 2026, we shifted our focus to “women building better communities,” with an emphasis on five areas that really affect people’s everyday lives: health and wellness, supporting families, literacy, keeping kids active, and housing.
Further, We want the store to be a positive representation of the League, so we’ve aimed to create a place where people from all different backgrounds, experiences, and socio-economic situations to feel welcome and included, and to be able to find something unique regardless of their budget. That’s where my pride comes from because I think we’ve been able to accomplish that, and it’s common to hear laughing and joking in the store between customers and staff alike which I’m proud of personally.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in Connecticut. I moved to Virginia 8 years ago when I was 28. The town I grew up in was awesome, but being a small town there wasn’t a whole lot to do. My parents worked a lot, so I had a ton of free time. Luckily I met a great group of friends who I still mostly keep up with until today. None of us came from wealthy families and many of them had parents that were working like mine, so we were more about doing stuff to stay occupied that didn’t cost much. We used to go skateboarding, make bands and write songs and play shows, take photos and just generally stay moving. We eventually got cars and we would frequently go to this Salvation Army a few towns over. I fell in love with it. I was in a band for years, and when we were touring we would go to thrift shops in different states. Even now I still thrift a ton in my free time despite working at one.
Pricing:
- 75% of our prices fall between 3 and 10 dollars
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jlrichmond.org/theclothesrack/
- Instagram: theclothesrackva
