Woman is inspired not once, but twice to open new business
Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bvwv/News/6351/
JANE, Mo. — Two little girls and the love of boutiques inspired Bridget Epperson to open her children’s clothing store May 6 in Macadoodles Plaza.
“ I’m a boutique junkie, ” Epperson said.
She shopped at children’s boutiques across the Missouri border in Springfield and Joplin, looking for “ little girlie things ” for her two daughters, 17-month-old Bella and 7-year-old Gracie. But, she couldn’t find anything close to her home in Pineville, Mo.
All the while she was shopping in other stores, she was thinking about how she could build a better store and what stores needed. Some of the stores didn’t even have dressing rooms. Gracie would have to try on clothes between the aisles, which she didn’t like, Epperson said.
That’s when she decided she was going to have dressing rooms decorated for her little customers.
Also, her daughter Gracie was all about cameras and would show off for them, so she decided to put a model’s runway with three-way mirrors in front of the dressing rooms.
Children “ like to walk, turn and prance around, ” Epperson said. When the children are modeling their clothes, the staff will take their photos for display on a bulletin board or in an electronic photo frame. The frame will have digital images and automatically will flip through all the pictures.
Along with creating an atmosphere where children will actually think it’s fun to try on clothes, Epperson also wanted to provide unique, upscale, trendy items so neither the boys nor the girls are likely to see others wearing the same outfit, she said. When Epperson decided to open her store, she researched ideas on the Internet. Then, she went to Dallas to the wholesale market to buy clothes. “ I jumped in head first, ” she said.
She had a plan and made appointments with representatives from the brands she liked and had purchased for her daughters. It sort of worked out because she visited all her favorite brands. But on the way to those meetings she would see “ another adorable outfit ” and have to stop at that booth. She also went to Atlanta’s wholesale market. She shopped for both summer and fall clothing and will be receiving new items each month.
The store has clothing sizes for girls from newborn to 12 and boys from newborn to 7.
Being a true boutique shopper, she has other unique items, such as a wall full of bows to complete an outfit and hand-painted wall hangings for either a girl’s or boy’s room, which can be personalized.
Nadine Ward, from Pineville, paints all of them and also has painted a child’s table and chairs.
When people enter her shop, they will find bright pinks, blues and yellows that will surely please the younger crowd. Epperson knows about catering to them, because at the end of May, after 13 years, she is leaving her job as a kindergarten teacher.
She won’t leave everything behind in the classroom. Her experience decorating bulletin boards and creating a fun atmosphere for her students have gone into creating her new store.
“ We wanted to doll it up and make it a fun place, ” Epperson said.
Belly Buttons hours are 11 a. m. to 7 p. m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday. The store is located north of the Arkansas state line in Macadoodles Plaza. For more information, call (417 ) 226-0600.