Happy Belated Clothing was built on a love of secondhand fashion, commitment to sustainability, and a perhaps unreasonable willingness to import thousands of pounds of clothing at a time from Japan.

Following his experience owning a clothing store in Salt Lake City, Spencer set out to build a business in Chicago rooted in thoughtful sourcing. Through extensive research into global textile waste, he discovered the scale of clothing surplus in Tokyo and established a partnership with a recycling plant called Ecommit to source our inventory directly. Together, we spent the latter half of 2024 building Happy Belated from the ground up, importing and sorting our first shipment, and transforming our vision into a physical space.

We chose a by-the-pound pricing model not only because it’s something that didn’t exist in Chicago previously, but because we believe great clothing should be accessible regardless of label or perceived value–every piece deserves a chance to be loved again!

Since opening in late 2024, we’ve been blown away by the support of the Wicker Park community. Our customers are the absolute best! We are proud to share a shopping experience centered on sustainability, affordability, and the thrill of finding something unexpectedly perfect! \(^-^)/