When Shellharbour businesswoman Michelle Taylor started a dress hire business at Shell Cove four years ago so she could indulge her passion for fashion, she started filling the family home.
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Mrs Taylor based her home business around the concept of women all over Australia being able to hire a garment for a special occasion online.
The idea took off and her dresses are couriered all over the nation before being returned.
Many of them have been worn by celebrities to a variety of functions and she has attracted a growing number of loyal customers.
“We have a very strong regular client base who have been coming for four years,” she said.
“Some of them come once a month and some of them even every two weeks.”
With a fashion collection of close to 400 garments and little space to spare at home, Mrs Taylor has decided it’s time to take the plunge and open a bricks and mortar shop.
The Get Dressed Hire shop officially opened on Saturday.
“It is located at 20-26 Addison Street at Shellharbour, behind Acai Brothers in Shop 8 which has a rear courtyard.
“We are going to be open every Tuesday to Saturday. It will be open most days 10am to 5pm and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm,” she said.
This is something I have been thinking about for two or three years. I basically outgrew the space at home. Then this opportunity came up to move into this beautiful shop. So I grabbed it.
- Get Dressed Hire owner Michelle Taylor
“This is something I have been thinking about for two or three years. I basically outgrew the space at home.
“Then this opportunity came up to move into this beautiful shop. So I grabbed it.
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“People don’t need to make an appointment.
“They can just come on in. I have a couple of staff members now but I will be here most of the time.”
Mrs Taylor said she was always working ahead to source the latest fashion for the next season.
Earlier in the year she was shopping for the Spring Racing Carnival.
Bookings for dresses and accessories such as hats start ramping up in September.
Mrs Taylor is presently shopping for summer and is already thinking about more space in the future as the business continues to grow.
She said the demand is growing because so many people who hire dresses want to wear the latest fashion to ensure they have new season styles and colours.