The word kalts is not a pretty word. It means rag. First thing that comes to mind is a päevinäinud (age-old) towel of sorts being pushed around a floor with the help of a broomstick. Mysteriously enough, the tile floor doesn't look any cleaner after the kalts has passed. That was often the way in Soviet Estonia in the era before Swiffers and the like.

Although the term may seem somewhat derogatory, kaltsukad or kaltsu havens are embraced by Estonians, including creative types and hard-to-please trend-conscious (trendikad) teenagers. Kaltsukas is hellitav (honeyed or complementary) slang for a second-hand clothing store – popular places to find treasures the world over.

They used to be called komisjoni/kauplused in these parts. Commission or consignment shops, where the (usually) pre-loved items are given to a retailer, who reimburses the seller once the item is sold, keeping a commission. The komisjon is thereby a fee (tasu) paid for negotiating a sale (müük), based on a percentage of the sale price (hind).

With a komisjon usually no longer being paid, these shops are now referred to as second-händ (said with a slight accent), sekkar, from the previous English word, kaltsukad or simply kasutatud riiete ärid (used clothing stores). The three shirt logo serves to remind us of the good we are doing by recycling, known in Estonian as TAAS/KASUTUS (re-use).

Stores that might still sell based on consignment usually carry all manner of stuff from furniture to old memorabilia and are called vanakraami poed (old "stuff" stores). Stores that sell old books and antique art items have the specific name antiikvariaat.

Some of the encouraging messages on Paavli kaltsukas's website are: "Vaheta riideid, mitte sugu." (Change your clothes, not your sex.); "Taaskasutus on taassünd! (Re-use is re-birth) and "Mõtle roheliselt, kanna värvilist! (Think green, dress colourfully!) Now that it's re-opened, this second-hand haven claims to be cooler than ever before: Taasavatud ägedamana kui kunagi varem.

Arvamus

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