Heather Latter
Jennifer Horton has been busy renovating the downtown location of 334 Scott St. (formerly Border Travel) and tomorrow will open her new business, “Curvy Chick,” which will offer an assortment of intimate apparel for women.
“I have been doing the boudoir photography for over a year now,” she noted of her business, Chick With A Camera.
“People were buying outfits for the sessions and that made me think, ‘Why not sell the stuff they are needing to buy out of town?’
“‘Why not have something locally because there is nothing like that here?’”
The initial thought grew into the idea of a store that would carry lingerie and undergarments for women of all shapes and sizes.
“I want to make sure people of all sizes can feel comfortable to come in and find something that will fit them,” Horton remarked, admitting she has experienced the difficulty of trying to find undergarments that fit properly.
Horton noted she has been shopping at “Michelle’s Top Drawer,” a lingerie store in Dryden, for the past 10 years. And the owner of the boutique has become a mentor to her.
“She has taken me under her wing and is helping me through the process, as well as other people in the community,” she explained, noting she doesn’t have any experience in retail sales.
“Many people have really embraced my new venture and are willing to help me in any way possible,” Horton added.
“I’ve talked to local business owners and the Rainy River Future Development Corp., [which] has been great at helping me with the business plan and all the little things I’ve needed help with.”
Horton knew she wanted to locate her new business in the downtown core, where people will be walking by and doing other shopping.
And she found a great location at 334 Scott St. But she has been spending many hours transforming the space into an elegant shop.
“Hopefully, there will be more traffic, more exposure downtown,” she said. “Plus, with my boudoir photography, there are a lot of salons downtown, so it’s an easy transition to work with them, too.”
Horton will be using the store after hours to do her boudoir photography.
“I have a seating area that will offer a dual purpose—seating during the day, photo session at night,” she explained.
Besides the photography aspect, “Curvy Chick” also will offer bra fittings, gift registries, gift certificates, free special gift wrapping, and an assortment of items such as bras, panties, lingerie, maternity wear, sports bras, and pajamas.
Horton’s new store will be carrying a wide range of sizes. To start, she will have sizes 34-46, ranging from A-J cup, from small to XXX-L.
“And that’s just general right now,” she stressed. “Depending on my customers’ needs, that could vary.
“If I don’t have their size here, I’ll do what I can to find it.
“But I do have quite a few sizes,” she added. “So I should be able to accommodate most women.”
In the near future, Horton plans to look at carrying shape wear, such as different kinds of control garments, swimwear for all sizes, and mastectomy garments.
“I think there is a need here to carry that and have those services available for them to find pretty bras just like everyone else,” she reasoned.
She indicated her products so far range in price from $40-$110.
“So there’s a price point for every budget,” she explained. “They are well-made and are going to fit you. They are going to last a lot longer.
“I picked brands that I like and have worn or do wear now—brands I believe in.”
Horton said she’s done her research and her prices are comparable to stores in the city.
“I’ve had a few people say that if they can find it in town, they are going to buy it here and that’s great to hear,” she enthused.
And so far, she said she’s received a very pleasing response from the public.
“Word-of-mouth has really been positive, so I’m really hoping things go well once the store is open,” Horton remarked. “It’s just making sure people know that I’m here and that they feel comfortable coming in.
“It will be a very classy, elegant, and comfortable environment,” she pledged.
Horton admitted that due to the state of the economy in Fort Frances, she was worried about starting up a new business.
“It’s scary going into business in general, but I think just with the opportunities that will come with the mining that things will be okay,” she predicted, noting the “Curvy Chick” is the fourth new business downtown this year.
“So that says something positive that the younger generation is coming in to try to keep the community together,” she said.
Horton has joined the local Chamber of Commerce and attended a recent BIA meeting.
She is planning a grand opening for her business June 27 in conjunction with “Mall Days.”
“I’m starting small and being conservative, so hopefully I can grow my business,” she noted.
“I want people to tell me what they want to see in my store; if they have any suggestions about brands, etc.,” she added.
“Curvy Chick” will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with Thursdays staying open until 7 p.m.
For more information, call 270-6859 or visit www.facebook.com/curvychickfortfrances
