Nina Adoni and Hilary de Roy at De Roy’s Royal...

Nina Adoni and Hilary de Roy at De Roy’s Royal Native, new to Locust Valley.  Credit: Chrissy Brown

Nine years after its inception, clothing line Royal Native has made its debut in its very own storefront by the same name. The white walls in the narrow space need no embellishments, as its clothing, accessories and vintage home goods add splashes of color — and nostalgia — to the floor plan.

Hilary de Roy brings a unique concept to Locust Valley, one where she takes vintage threads, more specifically towels and sheets, and turns them into everyday wear, like shorts, pants, jackets (in a number of styles and lengths), and pullovers. The 45-year-old designer says her line is made up of styles that “you can wear after you go swimming, but you can also wear it to dinner.”

A longtime collector of vintage towels, De Roy also makes pillows and repurposes furniture with them, as well as pool and beach bags, which she lines with vintage sheets. Shoppers can also expect to find a rack stacked with real vintage dresses, coats and the like by vendor Eliza Vintage.

The other part of the Royal Native store is made up of vintage home décor, which is brought in by Nina Adoni (@thethriftocrat), who picks from high-end estates, thrift stores, garage sales and such. The women, who pride themselves on offering “sustainable” and “earth-friendly“ items, say that they enjoy “bringing things back to life that are just sitting in someone's garage.” 

Moving fastest at the store, open since Feb. 1, is De Roy’s Chica jacket, a short, open-front, 3/4 length jacket made up of vibrant colors and patterns. Socks that feature quirky sayings, pillows and soaps have been a hit, too, as are vintage barware items (coasters, ice buckets, drink stirrers and plate sets).

You’ll also find a selection of vintage jewelry and art, plus more trendy items like incense bundles.

Royal Native, the clothing line, originally launched in 2014 using wax print, cottons and dead-stock fabric. It wasn’t until 2020 that the brand, as it is today, came to fruition “sort of out of necessity,” says owner De Roy, adding that COVID derailed her original plans due to her fabric sources closing. At that point, she “had been collecting vintage towels for years,” she says. A local tailor made a pair of shorts for her, now known as the Queen Bee shorts, out of one of her towels and they immediately took off. “I think it resonated with people because there’s a sense of nostalgia about it, like simpler times,” she says.

Although Royal Native has seen some changes through the years, one thing’s been persistent since the beginning: its name. She wanted the name to describe how she is “as a person. I can be high-end, but I’m also very down to earth,” she says describing “Royal,” also mentioning that she grew up locally, which offers a sense of belonging, “Native."

Prices range from $150 for shorts made of sheets and $175 for shorts made of towels to $350 for a pullover. Vintage home goods and gifts start at $12 for a notebook to $150 for barware and lamps. Shop Royal Native at 27 Forest Ave. in Locust Valley Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (come spring, it will be open Tuesdays, too). Shop with De Roy or Adoni when the shop’s closed by appointment only; 516-682-2982, theroyalnative.com

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