I've opened my own shop! This is why the blogposts has been even more sparse and random than usual (wich is pretty bad considering my usual infrequency). I've been dying to tell you why, but didn't want to jinx it by shouting it out to the world before the deal was done.
So, what's the deal with this store? We sell weddingdresses and full length dresses (prom, fancy weddings, special occasions at the university), we rent out fancy men's wear (tailcoats, smokings, jaquettes etc). We also have some childrens clothes.
That's what brings home dinner, but what makes this shop so different is the in-house sewing shop. To be able to make the dresses fit each customer, to alter the rental wear so that it looks like it was made for each man who wears it, we do a lot of sewing. We also take on alterations and mendings, both for retail stores and private individuals. Overall, there's a lot of sewing! =)
I never saw myself as an entrepeneur, and definitly not as working in a shop, but this feels so right. We don't just sell clothes, we sell/rent wellmade clothes that we alter so that they won't be as everyday bad-fitting as RTW tends to be. It feels good to go to work and know that we make clothes more wearable, and that the mending we do prolongs garments lifes.
Oh, I said "we"? That's right! This shop isn't new, not by a longshot. It was founded in 1946, sold in 1997 (yes, the original owners ran the shop for 51 years!) to Margaretha, who is now closing in on retirement and wanted to hand the business over to younger hands. I bought the shop April 1st, but Margaretha agreed to continue working (part time) for a few years. There's also a very talented seamstress who was and of course still is working half time. Don't know what I'd do without them! As a new business owner, it's wonderful to have someone to guide me. Basically, Margaretha is my Yoda =)
It's also superfun to have collegues! I've mostly worked in solitary professions, for example as a receptionist you meet a lot of people, but you most often work alone. Now, we're a small group working together, and it's so much fun, the days just fly by! I'm also learning tons of neat sewing tricks =)
I have done a little bit of sewing at home this spring, and I'm sure I'll get around to snapping some photos of it, any year from now ; ) Seriously, May is the most intense month for us, so I'll coninue to be scarse online, but I'm reading blogs on the phone on my way to work, trying to stay a bit on track with the online sewing community, and I'll try to post something once in a while.
If anyone is in Umeå, drop by the shop and say Hi! =) It's Högtidskläder, on Västra Norrlandsgatan 22A. The website isn't up and running yet (there is one, but it's not quite up-to-date), I'll post a link once I get the new site online.
I'm on Instagram though, as "hogtidskladerumea", where I'm posting pictures of pretty dresses =)
Sorry for the long silence folks, it was a bit tough to start a business during the late winter months, and the last two months I've been working mostly seven days a week. But I'm looking forward to this summer, there will be a lot of sewing, and hopefully also time to relax and sew for myself. And blog!
Hope you're having a wonderful spring!
Love, Erika
