Business & Tech

New Resale Boutique Offers Shopping Venture for Plus-Size Women

Hips resale boutique in downtown Clawson will celebrate its grand opening this weekend.

Formal dresses, fancy shoes and blouses by some of the top designers in the fashion industry line the racks of a new shopping venture in downtown Clawson. But it's not your ordinary boutique. The resale shop Hips, which opened in early March, offers merchandise that caters to plus-size women and will celebrate its grand opening at noon Saturday.

Owner Vikki Stoddart said it's the only resale shop in Metro Detroit that targets women sizes 12-32.

Stoddart said she was struck with the idea for the boutique in November when a friend was moving out of state and didn't know what to do with her unworn plus-size clothing. And as a broadcast buyer with interest in business and management, Stoddart thought a plus-size boutique could thrive in a small, tight-knit community such as Clawson.

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"This light bulb just went off one day," said Stoddart, who lives in Ferndale. "And it all came together pretty quickly."

Stoddart's friends and family members donated a large portion of the merchandise the store started with, and a lot of women have been stopping in with bags of clothing since Hips opened, she said.

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Stoddart said she accepts only gently worn or brand-new items that have been cleaned. When someone brings clothes or shoes in the store, she examines the items and assesses a resale value. People who bring items may get 25 percent of the resale value back in cash, or 30 percent for popular name brands. Stoddart said she also will give 45 percent of the resale price in a store credit.

Stoddart said she believes the store is catering to women who often struggle to find clothes that fit and are affordable. The store's merchandise ranges from $6 to around $50.

"There's a demand" for plus-size clothing, Stoddart said. "I want women to feel good about themselves. Providing clothes at a reasonable price can make all the difference in the world."

Customers shopping in Hips on Friday said they were excited to finally have a plus-size women's resale boutique in the area.

"I'm excited because I can fit these clothes, and I can afford them," said Clawson resident Renee McDonald, who was shopping for clothes to wear on her upcoming vacation. McDonald said she was also happy to have somewhere to sell clothes that had been sitting in her closet.

The boutique also sells accessories such as jewelry, handbags and sunglasses. Some of the top-name brands shoppers may find on its racks include Banana Republic, Nine West, Ralph Lauren and 7 For All Mankind.

Rachel Roberts, a sales associate at Hips, said she was eager to help out when she heard about the store.

"I think it's great," Roberts said, especially for women "who are unable to find cute clothes in their size at average stores."

Stoddart offers customers a seating area with coffee and magazines and two dressing rooms with zebra-print curtains.

"I just want to provide a comfortable environment," Stoddart said. "I want them to feel like they are shopping in their friends' closets."

She said Hips is accepting only spring and summer clothing and shoes right now.

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony with light refreshments for the store's grand opening Saturday.

Hips, 10 S. Main St. in downtown Clawson, is open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and Friday; 1-5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 248-435-2130 or visit havehips.com.


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