Old Soul Exchange: A vintage store paving the way for young women

By Saige Klein

Blog Content Contributor

A rack of clothes for sale in front of Old Soul Exchange entrance. | Permission to use by Rachel McCartney

Owner, Rachel McCartney, stands in front of Old Soul Exchange. | Permission to use by Rachel McCartney

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually as recognition for all the women in this country. It first dates to 1908 when more than 15,000 women marched in New York City to protest voting rights, unequal wages and child labor.  

In 1909, the Socialist Party of America created International Women’s Day to celebrate the many women who worked and fought for equal rights. This day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977 and has been occurring every year since.  

It’s important to recognize the many women in our lives: friends, family and even people in our community. Owner of Old Soul Exchange located on the square, Rachel McCartney, is no exception.  

Since moving here when she was ten years old, McCartney has grown up in and around the San Marcos community. She has grown to love the atmosphere of the youth that this college town offers.  

“I’ve seen it change quite a bit and grow very rapidly. As a business owner, it’s wonderful to see the vibrance and youth, and culture that being around so many young people brings,” said McCartney.  

While Old Soul Exchange has only been a store front since 2021, the existence of Old Soul Exchange has been around since McCartney could remember. From having a passion for vintage clothes to setting up booths at house parties, Old Soul Exchange has been growing for many decades.  

“When I was a kid, we used to sell vintage clothes at house parties when I was 15 and 16 years old,” said McCartney. “So, I can’t really remember like a time when I really started, it just kind of happened.” 

After working at Joe’s Cafe for about six years, in 2013 McCartney realized it was time to be fully in control and do what she had always dreamed she could. She started consistently doing pop-ups throughout the Central Texas area and in 2021 opened her first and only store front.  

Owning a business is not easy. There are many important puzzle pieces that must connect in order to be successful. In McCartney’s case, she says one of the biggest struggles was her gender.   

“Women are kind of put under more of a microscope, under more of a spotlight, it’s a little harder to be taken seriously,” said McCartney. “That’s been a struggle for me is dealing with men in certain capacities that just kind of didn’t really believe in it at first, like I had to prove myself, you know?” 

The struggle of owning a business as not only a woman, but as a single mom and a local has not been easy for McCartney. Just like many, she has had ups and downs and has struggled but what keeps her going is always having confidence in herself.  

“I say confidence is about 80% of everything you do, if you just believe that you can, you will, and you can,” said McCartney.  

Old Soul Exchange has become more than just a fun place to shop but has given one student here at TXST an opportunity to showcase her passion for photography.  

Isa Ortiz is a student photographer for Lewk Magazine here at TXST and has been able to collaborate with Old Soul in exchange for media publicity. Ortiz uses many different vintage pieces and props from Old Soul and then McCartney will use the photos on a variety of social media platforms.  

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

“It’s made me more professional with Lewk Magazine and outside with my private projects,” said Ortiz.   

Ortiz has been able to use many different fun vintage pieces to make her photoshoots more personalized and unique.  

“It’s also made me scavenge for more styles in here, and I really like finding vintage things in here that can reconstruct my style more,” said Ortiz.  

Old Soul Exchange has not only given McCartney a chance to showcase her passion for vintage clothes but proves that no matter what gender you are or where you come from your dreams, passions and goals are valid and achievable.

McCartney has not only been able to inspire herself but she is also helping many other young women build their craft and keep their passions alive.  

“When I have young folks, especially young females come in and they’re looking for a piece and they put that piece on, and they’re like, ‘wow this fits me like a glove,’ that’s what it’s all about,” said McCartney. “Putting people in stuff that makes them feel beautiful and makes them feel good is so rewarding for me and it’s something I get to cherish forever.”