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Elegant Western With a Rugged Touch

By Beacon Staff

Redneck Chic is true to its name.

Inside the large consignment and retail store is a diverse assortment of everything from high-end designer clothes to a Montana Wind Chime: a hanging memento with a fishing bobber, Bud Light can, shotgun shell and Skoal chewing tobacco can. The wind makes it flutter and dance.

Tina Terry said the store, which opened on Sept. 15, is a combination of both her own interests and her boyfriend’s, as well as a reflection of her roots. She likes nice clothes, but she hasn’t forgotten about where she comes from – a small town outside of Austin, Tex.

A cowgirl dress and hat are seen on display at Redneck Chic, a new retail and consignment shop south of Kalispell.

“I’ve always been able to drink a beer with the guys at the local bar,” she said.

Terry’s prices are reasonable and, in some cases, downright cheap, even by consignment standards. As for her new retail selection, including the designer clothes, she manages to keep those prices down as well. She said she gets clothes and apparel from ritzier stores in Houston – where she most recently moved from – that are the last of the inventory.

The stores are looking to unload these items to make room for new selections, so they sell them cheap. That’s where Terry comes in and snatches them up. She then sells them at her store at a fraction of the price. She has $300 boots for well under $100 and jeans that would normally sell for more than $200 going for about a quarter of that price. Shirts are as cheap as $15.

The retail section also has jewelry, Montana Tom’s chocolates and miscellaneous novelty items. Much of the handmade jewelry is from Coreen Cordova, who brings a Western flair to contemporary styles. While Terry’s influence is apparent in the clothes and jewelry, the influence of her boyfriend – Jack Jones – is evident in the collectible signs and more rugged Western goods.

“He’s into cattle and land and I’m into jewelry and clothes,” Terry said. “I put his passion with my passion and put this together.”

The consignment selection is varied, as it represents the belongings of a wide cross-section of people. Anybody can bring in an item, which is then subject to an examination from Terry. She asks that the items be clean and functioning.

Cowboy hats by Indigo Cowgirl are seen on display at Redneck Chic, a new retail and consignment shop south of Kalispell.

The 6,000-square-foot consignment portion of Redneck Chic contains antique typewriters; nifty cowboy hats; furniture; tools; a late 1800s wooden washing machine; collectible cameras; kids toys; plants and much more. There are pages and pages of Flathead’s history scattered among the old books and magazines.

Booth rentals are also available in the consignment section. Rather than only bringing in one or two items, if people have enough things for an entire display they can rent a 9- by 12-foot booth space for $250 a month. Essentially, it’s their own store within the store.

Terry is proud to be on Kalispell’s south end. As the north side continues to rapidly expand its number of retail stores, the southern industrial zone remains fairly untouched. She said she gets lots of passersby either leaving Kalispell or arriving on U.S. Highway 93. They see her sign, which is a fashionable-looking woman caricature that lights up neon at night.

Her parking lot is big enough for tractor-trailers and plenty of cars at a time.

“I’m on the other side of town,” she said. “I’m not in the franchise world – I’m in the industrial world.”

Terry hopes to hold a live auction once a month, where people can sell consignment items and receive the majority of the selling price, while Redneck Chic takes the rest as a commission. The first auction will be held on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. Terry asks that sellers check in their items by Feb. 26.

Blue Bonnet, right, and Blue Berry, two blue heelers, greet visitors to Redneck Chic.

In the summer, Terry plans to use a large fenced-off area behind the building to sell goods like salvage wood and other things that don’t fit well inside. She also wants to use the outside area for events akin to farmer’s markets, where people can set up tables and booths.

Instead of throwing away old belongings, Terry said consignment is a way for people to recycle and make a little cash.

“If they don’t want it in their house, or in their garage, they have an option,” Terry said.

Redneck Chic is located at 3167 U.S. Highway 93 South. It can be reached at (406) 755-5920.