Consignment bridal boutique opens in Arnold | Business … – Leader Publications
Crystal Fodge of Imperial has opened the Bridal Collection, a consignment bridal boutique, at 13 Fox Valley Center in Arnold.
Crystal Fodge of Imperial has opened the Bridal Collection, a consignment bridal boutique, at 13 Fox Valley Center in Arnold.
Crystal Fodge wants every bride to have the full gown shopping experience, even those who are purchasing a secondhand bridal dress.
To meet that goal, the 39-year-old Imperial resident opened The Bridal Collection, a consignment bridal boutique, on Sept. 10 at 13 Fox Valley Center in Arnold.
Fodge said the idea for the business venture came to her when she sold her wedding dress through Facebook Marketplace, a classified-ad section of the social network that specializes in helping individuals and businesses sell items locally. Fodge sold her dress to a woman who came to her home and tried it on in Fodge’s basement.
“I was thinking that is sad that a woman is missing out on the bridal experience,” Fodge said. “You usually go out with your mom, bridesmaids or friends to buy your dress. When you are buying secondhand, that is not an option. There is no store that offers that.”
Enter The Bridal Collection, where previously used dresses and accessories may be purchased at a discounted price.
Fodge said those selling gowns and accessories pay a one-time $25 fee to sell items in the store. After a sale, Fodge and the previous owner split the sale price 50-50.
On Sept. 20, she said the store had 10 dresses she had purchased from a bridal shop that was closing, and she was expecting to have more dresses after visiting another bridal shop where she hoped to purchase some of that business’s sample gowns.
She also said some women have reached out to her to help sell their gowns.
Customers selling dresses have to have purchased the gown within the last five years, provide a receipt to show how much they paid for it and provide proof it has been professionally cleaned, Fodge said.
“The need is there because everything is too expensive,” she said. “You want a designer gown, but you don’t want to pay $3,000 for it. Also, let’s be honest, your daughter is not going to want to wear your gown in 20 years.”
Fodge said depending on the condition of the bridal dress, the purchase price may be 20 to 40 precent less than the original cost.
She said she is most interested in finding and reselling plus-size dresses and gowns that fit women who are 5-foot-2 or shorter.
“Those are hard dresses to find,” said Fodge, who worked as a bridal consultant while studying at Missouri Baptist University. “When I was a bridal consultant in college, we had several plus-sized brides who were disappointed because we didn’t have anything for them to try on. The bridal industry is rough. They consider anything over a size 6 to be plus-sized. I would love to have a store filled with plus-sized dresses and for women who are 5-foot-2 and shorter. It would be nice to be a spot where brides can feel included.”
She said her space in the Fox Valley Center shopping plaza is 1,000 square feet, and there are two dressing rooms for customers to try on dresses.
The store is open from 5-8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
“I thought the weekdays would be good for those who want to bring in a dress to consign, and Saturday would be good for bridal appointments,” said Fodge, who also works from home as a legal systems coordinator for Energizer.
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