CAPE ELIZABETH — Sandy Shapiro-Hurt said she loves seeing old, special items of clothing get new life.

That is what she and her business partner, Brigid O’Reilly, hope to do with their new consignment shop, fox + doe, set to open March 31 at 1232 Shore Road.

For more than 30 years, the space – known first as Forget Me Nots and, most recently, Shore Things – has been dedicated to offering quality clothing at a reasonable price. Janice Stockson became the sole proprietor of the shop near the intersection with Ocean House Road in 2005; she operated it until deciding to close late last year. 

Shapiro-Hurt, of Cape Elizabeth, and O’Reilly, who lives nearby in South Portland’s Willard Square neighborhood, met about 12 years ago while working together for Pierce Promotions in Portland. They’ve run in the same circles ever since, as they both branched off to pursue careers in event and wedding planning.

After a friend of hers suggested the idea of opening a consignment shop, Shapiro-Hurt asked O’Reilly to partner with her on the business endeavor. 

“I know that we work so well together and enjoy each other,” Shapiro-Hurt said. “We’ve been friends for a long time.” 

O’Reilly still plans to work in event planning while managing the shop. Shapiro-Hurt said she’s stepped back from most event planning to focus on writing. Her children’s book, “Sylvia Rose and the Cherry Tree,” was published last month. 

The duo signed the lease to 1232 Shore Road in January and have been working on renovations ever since. 

“I love how central this space is,” Shapiro-Hurt said. “This area is like the little heartbeat of … Cape Elizabeth.” 

O’Reilly sees a demand for a shop like theirs.

“What happens a lot with people on this side of the (Casco Bay Bridge) is they think they have to go up to Portland or out to the mall to shop,” she said. “Having something in the neighborhood is going to be great.” 

Although Stockson originally hoped to have someone take over Shore Things, O’Reilly and Shapiro-Hurt decided they wanted to make it their own. 

“Starting fresh just made sense for us,” O’Reilly said. “We had a very clear vision of what we wanted to do … We were looking for consignment space and this came along.” 

The name, fox + doe, was partially inspired by Shapiro-Hurt’s grandmother and daughter – both of whom were nicknamed Doe – and O’Reilly’s high school, Fox Lane High School in New York.

The plan, for now, is to focus on offering women’s and children’s attire, but O’Reilly said they may eventually offer men’s clothing, too.

Although the name and layout of the shop has changed, the pair hope to reach the same clients who patronized Shore Things, spanning all ages and demographics.

“We want to be open to everybody,” O’Reilly said. “And certainly people who are looking for some designer brands at a price that works for them.” 

In addition to their “curated consignment” collection, O’Reilly and Shapiro-Hurt also hope to sell new clothing, accessories and gifts made by local artisans interested in working with them.

“We’ll probably have 70 to 80 percent curated consignment,” O’Reilly said. “And the other portion will be unique gifts and household things and eventually some new things.” 

Their baby section features luxury baby clothing and blankets from Shapiro-Hurt’s mother’s line, Lulla Smith, based in Camden. 

Ten days before their opening, fox + doe’s racks were already stocked.

“People have just been popping in to drop things off,” O’Reilly said, noting that they welcome clients to call or email them to schedule an appointment to bring their clothes in. 

The shop has already brought Shapiro-Hurt a new favorite shirt, which was brought in for consignment by O’Reilly. 

“It’s so much fun to see the cycle,” Shapiro-Hurt said. “To have an acquaintance come in and fall in love with a piece … and know that it came from another friend who had a special relation with that piece … it’s really nice.” 

Jocelyn Van Saun can be reached at 781-3661, ext. 183 or jvansaun@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @JocelynVanSaun.

Brigid O’Reilly, left, and Sandy Shapiro-Hurt are putting the final touches on their new Cape Elizabeth consignment shop, fox + doe, which is set to open March 31 at 1232 Shore Road.

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