A Better Experience

D Sarver, owner of Perfect Curve Upscale Consignment, focuses on giving her customers a better experience shopping. She says plus size women are used to not finding their size at a thrift shop, and being up-charged at the mall for buying a larger size. At Perfect Curve, D’s goal is to help them remember that they aren’t second class citizens. She keeps the store very body positive, pushing the idea that you need to dress who you are today. It should be fun, like shopping in your sister’s closet. She even has higher-end clients who she personal shops for. For some women, it’s not that they can’t afford it, they just can’t find it.

D has noticed that Utah women approach shopping differently. They put their children first. She wants to remind them to put themselves first sometimes. D also works with various charities to help dress women, providing after hours appointments for women in crisis. She has helped at least 30 women this year. She tries to give them the most comfortable experience she can, sometimes closing the store so they will not experience PTSD.

Sparking Inspiration

D started her business after a house fire left her with only the clothes on her back. She received money from insurance to purchase new clothes, but when she visited local thrift shops she couldn’t find anything in her size. She had a friend who owned a plus size shop in Denver, so she started thinking about it as a business idea for herself. She had also been helping dress women on the side for thirty years. She found an available space that used to house a boutique, and she got to work.

D’s advice: whatever your budget is, double it. Think about the logistics. Do you have a car you can use to transport? Your personal vehicle can really help or hinder your goals. Make sure you are ready to live without an income for a couple years.

Don’t neglect getting to know what your business truly entails. What she learned is that retail involves a lot of color theory. Shadow people who are in the business, don’t just read about it. Sit your butt down and watch them! D recommends following them beyond working hours, to see how they balance their business with the rest of their life.

Watching Clients Transform

D loves seeing her customers completely transform. They walk in with their shoulders slumped, with ill-fitting clothing on. When she can make them walk out the door with their head held high, that is truly rewarding.

What’s next for D? Well, she says, she’d love to be able to this remotely from a beach. But more realistically, she would love to have longer daytime hours and employ a staff. She’d also love to get a seamstress in to work on upcycled clothing. Perfect Curve is celebrating their grand re-opening on March 1. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/390747801504127/

You can find D at her store, Perfect Curve, 4700 900 E. #12, Murray, UT 84117, or online at https://www.prfctcrv.com/