Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 7th, 8:54am By Chao Li

Debbie Sidel opened the door of Half & Half Trading Co. at the age of 22. Now, even after 35 years of business, Debbie has not lost an ounce of enthusiasm for her role as owner of the little boutique.

Debbie has dressed generations of women in Buffalo. “Sometimes three different generations of women will walk in, a girl, her mother, and the grandmother, and they can all find something they like!” Debbie said. “I started out dressing college kids, then, as they grew up, the shop grew with them.” She pointed to the little baby shoes in a glass display. “Some of my customers are becoming grandmothers; and they’d come and tell me ‘Debbie, I’m going to be a grandmother!’ so I started ordering baby stuff!” Debbie enthused.

It is easy to see why Half & Half has remained so successful over the years. Debbie’s uncompromising attention to detail has a lot to do with how she runs her business. “I change the window display every Monday, no exceptions! People walking by love the changes.” Debbie personally approves every single product on the shelves, and she never orders anything she doesn’t care for. “When I order, I have to order 6 to 8 months in advance, so you kind of have to guess at what’s going to be popular.” Debbie sets her own trends because there’s no reason in chasing the styles the mall carries when the malls just mass-produce what boutiques carry.

Debbie’s connection with her customers is also a contributing factor to the shop’s success. The guest book on the counter has pages of thank you’s left by happy customers who jot notes about how great their shopping experience has been. This would explain the store's growth over the past 35 years. “When we first opened, we didn’t carry formal dresses, that’s for sure!” As girls grew up, Debbie realized that they needed dresses for more formal occasions like proms, weddings, and their nights out on the town, so she took it as her responsibility to dress them accordingly.

All the dresses, like everything else here, is very limited in number but there is a great assortment in style. “I could order a lot of them and just bring it out from the basement as they sell, but I only order about six of each item—and when they’re gone, they’re gone. It’s a nice feeling to know that when you walk around town, you’re not likely to run into someone with the same thing.”

One of mannequins in the back of the store was wearing a beautiful magenta-colored coat that had a high collar and a belt. Debbie rushed over and brought one up to herself, modeling it in the mirror. “Isn’t this cute?” Debbie gushed. "This coat is seventy-five dollars!” She believes in the products she carries. Debbie knows that people can’t always afford to break their bank to be stylish. There is a large display of earrings inspired by the veins of leaves, with a little tag marked $10. Debbie wants her customers to be stylish and look good without feeling shopper’s remorse.

As for the name of the boutique, ‘Half & Half Trading Co.,’ comes from a time when jeans came in one style: "Solid blue and stiff," Debbie laughs. When Half & Half first opened in the 70’s, it was hard to find jeans that had different washes. People had to treat their own jeans and also break them in. Debbie explained that she bought broken-in jeans from cowboys and cleaned them; then she organized them by size so that people could pick up worn-in jeans. Back then, when a customer traded in a pair of their worn-in jeans, they got half off of something else, and that’s where the name stemmed from.

Debbie is fearless when it comes to the unstable economy, saying, “I don’t think women will ever stop shopping, or wanting to look good.” Half & Half is actually a perfect place for the woman or college student who values style and also values their money. “I love to show women that you don’t have to buy a whole outfit to have a fresh look.” Debbie picked up a fall scarf. “Sometimes, a simple accessory is all you need.” Debbie owns the building her shop is in. This eliminates the issue that many small business owners face—price of rent.

Debbie’s taken on the role of a stylist for women of all ages here in Buffalo, and not surprisingly, the community feeds on her passion, and her dedication to bringing style to Buffalo without a huge price tag.
Half & Half Trading Co.
1088 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
halfandhalfclothing.com