New Ocean City Boutique Brings Sustainability and Style Downtown

The Garb Collection is Bowfish Studio owner Caitlin Quirk’s latest vision

The old proverb “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is generally used in a philosophical form. It doesn’t necessarily have to be referring to actual waste; it could refer to someone’s taste in certain items. Just because one person doesn’t like something it doesn’t mean another person has to, or vice versa.
For Caitlin Quirk, however, the literal definition applies. When it comes to one person’s “trash” – specifically clothing – she provides an opportunity to give apparel a second life through her Downtown shop, The Garb Collection.
“Textile waste is the second largest polluting industry in the world,” Caitlin said. “The amount of waste made by apparel companies is insane. We give people an option, not only for a place to sell their clothes, but also consume clothing in a non-mass-produced way.”

The Garb Collection offers short-term rentals to folks who are looking to sell their unwanted clothes. Sellers can rent the space from anywhere between five and 60 days in five-day increments. They set the sale price and are free to sell anything from their closet, so long as it’s not from the banned brands list (looking at you, Shein and Temu.)
“There’s something for everybody,” Caitlin said. “You never know what you’ll stumble upon. Something could be there five days or 60 days. The turnover is crazy.”
Although The Garb Collection is a clothing boutique, the genesis of the business is Caitlin’s desire to spread the word about sustainability while making the world a less polluted place.
“It’s brand new, four months old,” she said of the Garb Collection. “It’s a passion project more than anything. I became incredibly passionate about the climate crisis we’re in, specifically waste management.”
She added that in the state of New Jersey there are 13 landfills remaining of the original 800 that were once operational. She claims that by 2051 there will only be one landfill left. Considering textile waste is the second largest culprit in waste management, she is ensuring that clothing items are getting another life with a new owner.
Caitlin is aware that these changes can’t be made overnight – that the only real solution is to make small, incremental changes each day which will add up over time to make an impact. One of the ways she’s practicing that is the use of the $2 rack in her shop.
When some rental periods are up, not all sellers want to take back all of their clothes – so when some people donate their leftover, unsold clothing, Caitlin decided to throw them on the $2 rack at the shop and every penny from the sales of the rack would be used to install compost systems at local businesses.
Food waste, as you may or may not know, takes up 40 percent of the landfills, according to Caitlin. That’s everything from grass clippings to food byproducts.
Although the Garb Collection has only been open since spring, Caitlin’s already raised enough money to install a compost system at a local coffee shop which makes the operation completely waste free.
“I’m on a mission to try to slow down how much stuff we’re putting in our landfills so we can create more longevity with them,” she explained. “Who knows? Maybe 20 years in the future we’re only producing a tenth of the waste we’re doing today. To do that we have to make it not scary for people.”

The Garb Collection serves as an avenue, not only for people to buy and/or sell clothing, but for Caitlin to spread the word about the importance of sustainable practices. And she puts her money where her mouth is, too. The Garb Collection is a single-use-free-business, meaning Caitlin doesn’t purchase a single thing that can only be used one time. There are no receipts – that’s all done digitally. The tags are made from recycled cardboard boxes. They are a hub for recycled, reusable bags. Basically, there are few people on earth suited better to speak on the importance of sustainability than Caitlin herself.
“One thing I learned on my sustainability journey is that people get uncomfortable around things that are new to them,” she said. “To become a sustainable person you have to do small things over time. That’s what creates long-term impact. To bring that to humanity, that’s been my favorite part of the business so far.”
The Garb Collection is a store made up of items their owners feel should be given a new life, and not one spent in a land fill.
“I feel so lucky that I’m able to be an advocate for this, for most people trash is just the stuff they think about at the end of the day,” Caitlin said.
When you combine Caitlin’s passion for the environment and the truly one-of-a-kind shopping experience that can be described as “Poshmark in person,” it’s no wonder that the store has performed well in the few months it’s been open. Between Caitlin’s tutelage and a location in the heart of Ocean City’s Downtown on Asbury Avenue, the sky is the limit for The Garb Collection.
“We hope to be a new anchor in the Downtown,” Quirk said.
The Garb Collection is on social media @TheGarbCollection. Visit thegarbcollection.com. The brick and mortar store is located at 1014 Asbury Avenue and is open Monday-Saturday from 9am to 9pm and Sunday from 9am to 5pm.