Just like an artist puts pieces of glass together to form a mosaic, shoppers at Mosaic Consignment Studio put the pieces of an outfit together.

“That’s how we got our name,” said Mosaic co-owner Rebecca Cislo. “A mosaic is a piece of art  - you have a lot of different pieces to put together to get that unique end-product.”

Cislo and her partner, Colleen Miller, began the consignment shop located on Main Street in April and have been offering “upscale resale” ever since.

The two women are both teachers in southeast Michigan and met seven years ago at the school they work in.

Cislo grew up going to consignment shops with her mother and wanted to open her own consignment store for about ten years. Cislo and Miller were in town for a sporting event when they noticed the corner slot was open.

“We love the old town aesthetic,” Cislo said. “There’s still a bustle downtown.”

Cislo and Miller began their stock of new or gently used clothing by bringing several pieces together. Before the store opened, they hosted drop-off dates where consigners could bring clothes in. Cislo said their family and friends were helpful in bringing them items.

The store doesn’t buy any items outright, Cislo said; instead, they display the items in the store for 60 days. After that period, consigners come in to pick up their items that didn’t sell and receive 50 percent of the profit from the items that did sell.

Consigners can also choose to donate their unsold clothing through Mosaic.

The store is very particular about its items’ condition and only chooses the best items to place in the shop, Cislo said.

“Things I’ve bought in the store have been really high quality,” said Kathy Moss, University music admissions coordinator for the College of Musical Arts and a shopper and consigner at Mosaic. “It’s all clean, presented well and there is a good assortment of labels.”

Caitlin Stoner, a clerk at Mosaic and recent University graduate, said the store’s stock is always changing.

“It depends on the day; the items are always different,” Stoner said. “I think there’s a really refreshing environment. There are a lot of different flavors in the shop.”

The shop has consigners and shoppers of all ages, Cislo said.

The store employees and owners set the prices, and Cislo said they try to be fair.

“We try to price it so the buyer feels like they’re getting a good deal,” Cislo said. “But at the same time, so the consigner doesn’t feel like they’re just letting the item go.”

The store is very organized, and the items are arranged according to size. There is also a new arrivals rack placed at the front of the store for regular customers, Cislo said.

“We want customers to get a boutique shopping experience, while remaining friendly to the pocketbook,” Cislo said.

The store clerks and owners also help customers put outfits together and give fashion advice.

“It’s a one-on-one shopping experience – what shopping used to be like,” Cislo said.

Cislo offered tips for shopping at Mosaic.

“Don’t just take one trip through the store; there’s a lot that we offer,” Cislo said.

She said she wants shoppers to leave with a feeling of enlightenment about how consignment shopping can be.

“They come in for that find; I want them to leave with a positive experience and have that feeling like, ‘I can’t wait to go back and see what I’ll find next time,'” Cislo said.

Mosaic offers clothing, purses, dresses, shoes, jackets, pants, other accessories and vintage clothing.

The store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Clothing can be an art form,” Stoner said. “It allows you to express something nonverbal about yourself.”