Tri-Cities becoming fashion-friendly

By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer

Women shoppers now have a range of choices in the Tri-Cities. An array of new stores dedicated to women's clothing and accessories are helping change the way local fashionistas shop, and the trend shows no signs of slowing despite a sluggish economy.

A handful of new stores catering to women have opened in the Tri-Cities this year. And on Friday, Apricot Lane Boutique will open at Columbia Center mall, bringing the latest big city women's fashion to the Tri-Cities, say Bill and Jenny Ackerman of Kennewick.

It's a specialty franchise retail store -- the first one in Washington, Oregon and Idaho -- that'll offer hand-selected designer wear and accessories, Jenny Ackerman said. The corporate franchise provides help with infrastructure, support and access to established business relationships, while allowing the Ackermans the flexibility to buy merchandise they think Tri-Citians will like.

Tri-Citians won't have to travel anymore to Seattle or Portland to buy the latest in fashion apparel, jewelry, handbags, accessories and gifts, said Bill Ackerman, because his store "will bring it to them."

Shoppers will be able to get a pair of $200 designer jeans or an $8 pair of earrings, he said, as the store will have a "price point for everyone."

Apricot Lane will have merchandise for all ages, but the Ackermans hope to attract what they call "soccer mom and daughter" demographics, anyone in their 30s and 40s with a teenage daughter as their core customers. And Jenny Ackerman said the couple also plans to do fashion parties at the store with a hostess to provide a more personal shopping experience for invited guests.

Specialty stores selling women's clothing are doing well in medium-sized metro areas, said Jenifer Roberts, assistant professor in fashion merchandising at Missouri State University. They are a better alternative to buying clothes online, and they offer eclectic selection and personal service, Roberts said.

In the Tri-Cities, Twist, an upscale discount women's clothing store, opened in May in the strip mall near Costco and Olive Garden in Kennewick, and Milania -- House of Style opened in late March on Keene Road in Richland.

Bloomingdeals, a boutique offering designer clothes and collectibles, opened for business in February in downtown Kennewick. It recently moved to a bigger location on Cascade Street and Kennewick Avenue, said store owner Laura Culbertson, who was in Los Angeles last week to pick up merchandise for the store.

She said she offers "trendy and affordable" goods to women of all ages.

"It's a good time to be in the Tri-Cities," said Craig Richards, one of three co-owners of Twist, which offers both "classic and contemporary" fashions to women ages 20 to 70. The store's broad selection is helping draw customers, he said.

There's a demand for trendy and unique women's apparel, said Jenna Cadwell, owner of Milania. About a year ago, she started doing private shopping events at local restaurants and wineries and launched an online boutique after she heard a lot of women complain there weren't enough designer choices available locally.

Roberts said small boutiques provide trendy casual and formal wear that fit nicely, she said.

Specialty women's clothing stores generally cater to women 25 and up, Roberts said. Women in that age group usually have the money and appreciate different styles they see in magazines and on TV, she said.

Young women, in the 15 to 21 age-group, generally tend to wear what their friends have, and generally they have less disposable income, Roberts said.

Soccer moms, who may not be working full-time, also want to look trendy, she said. "They might not like to wear strapless tops, but they would go for spaghetti straps," she said.

Women tend to buy more clothes, typically four tops to a pair of pants, she said. Since the trend of small, specialty boutique went into high gear in the last decade or so, women have educated themselves.

"Quality concerns override the price tag," Roberts said.

Sizes vary by vendors, explained Lee Boman, manager of JCPenney at Columbia Center mall. Boman said he sees the opening of Apricot Lane in the mall as a plus for the community, mall and his store.

"It will enrich the fashionability of the mall," Boman said.

Women's clothes and accessories are a priority for JCPenney, Boman said. That's why his store has dedicated about 44,000 square feet -- of the store's approximately 173,000-square-foot selling area -- to display and sell women's merchandise, he said.

For customers, the joy of visiting a boutique lies in finding treasures that are not mass-produced, said Cadwell of Milania. Apparel sold at specialty stores is made of better quality fabric and constructed better, she said. Boutiques offer great variety, yet carry limited editions of items they sell, making each item a unique piece, Cadwell said.

She said Apricot Lane probably will help educate customers about the latest fashion trends, adding her business has been good despite limited advertising. She plans to have a grand opening ceremony at Milania 475 Keene Road, on Saturday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Martha Colter of Kennewick loves to shop at Celia's Boutique on Clearwater Avenue and Union Street in Kennewick. It has everything she wants: Clothes, purses, scarves jewelry and it's unique and reasonably priced for the quality, Colter said.

She said she visits other stores, but often ends up returning to Celia's. "Her collection is chic and feminine," she said.

Celia Farnkoff, who opened Celia's Boutique in 1975, said she, like other boutique owners, regularly visits fashion bazaars in New York and Los Angeles, and occasionally travels to Europe, to buy a variety of merchandise that includes clothes, hats, bags, belts and other accessories. She also carries apparel by French and Canadian designers, she said.

Farnkoff said her business has been as steady as ever and she thinks there's room for new women's stores in the Tri-Cities because the area is growing.

"Competition is always good for customers," she said.

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Sunday, Jul. 05, 2009

Tri-Cities becoming fashion-friendly

By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer