“Life is too short to wear boring clothes.”
That’s the belief of Carrie Tintle, who’s brought a sassy burst of flair and fashion sense to her new shop, Crinoline Fashion Boutique, Ltd., having its soft opening this week on Main Street in Greenport.
Tintle, who grew up in Wading River but has also lived in Virginia, California and Colorado, moved back to New York in 1987, where she lived briefly in Cutchogue and then, moved to East Hampton.
“I got a little lonely after my husband passed away and decided to move back to the North Fork,” Tintle said. “The rest of my family lives here.”
Today, Tintle lives in Mattituck, and she said the move was the right decision. “I’ve made some great friends and I get to spend a lot more time with my daughter and her family. We now enjoy going to the gym together. It’s all good.”
Her journey to opening the shop began when Tintle first began working in retail in her 20s. Although most of her experience is in wholesale, once retired, she “became instantly bored. I have always been a hard work person.”
Opening a store wasn’t her initial plan. “Truthfully, I had tried to get a job in retail, just wanted something to keep me busy.”
She and a friend discussed opening a business together — her friend currently owns a shop in Woodbury, Connecticut — but the plans never took flight due to distance and travel time.
And so, Tintle took her dreams and turned them into reality, creating what she calls a “lifestyle store,” where women can go for “one-stop shopping, so to speak. Where you can shop for yourself from shoes, stocking, undergarments, dresses, and skin care. I even have gifts for men. ‘Cause you know that after you just spent a small fortune on yourself you have to bring something home for him. We all know how that works.”
Initially, Tintle thought she’d find a spot on Love Lane in Mattituck, but with nothing available, she happened to be driving through Greenport one day and spotted the “For Rent” sign. “I’m pretty sure that the universe/God, or whatever you believe in, pointed me in this direction. It was love at first sight.”
The beautiful old building — Greenport Trustee David Murray has has his design/build business upstairs — is nestled on Main Street. “Great light, and wonderful details,” she said. “And I simply adore my neighbors.”
The North Fork seemed the perfect locale to launch Tintle’s new venture. “I love the North Fork, from the wonderful people that I have met, and the sense of community. And the North Fork is beautiful. The wineries, the beaches, sunsets — you name it. What’s not to love?”
Her shop, “probably more upscale, with hidden treasures,” opened on Thursday. Her goal was to do a soft opening to “get the kinks out and receive some feedback from customers. It’s been very positive.”
Clothing has always touched Tintle’s heart. “It’s something that I have alway loved. You should see my closet.”
On a serious note, Tintle said life was not always filled with beautiful new clothes. “I grew up extremely poor,” she said. “My dad left us when I was young. My mom raised all seven of us on her own. That still amazes me. But I grew up with hand-me-downs. When I got my first-ever real paycheck I took my younger brother and sisters shopping for new school clothes. I was 14, and we took the bus to the Smith Haven Mall.”
Today, that thrill of finding the perfect look still appeals, and Tintle wants to share it with her clientele. “Come on in, let’s have some fun,” she said.
