Feminine fancies marks 25 years of fashion

La Crosse Tribune, Dec 05, 2004 by Bloom, Betsy

It was just going to be for a few years, Earlamae Dahlby said of her decision to go into business in 1979. Something to do after her two children went off to school.

After all, Dahlby had no experience in retail sales, except from the other side of the register - "I've always been a clothes horse," she said much less in running an entire store.

"I just got bored and decided to try it," Dahlby said with a laugh. "Now it scares me, when I think back... I guess (then) I had more guts than brains."

Twenty five years later, Feminine Fancies still is in business, and Dahlby still is picking out clothing and styles she thinks will appeal to her target clientele.

The store had a "fabulous first year" when it opened in the Village Shopping Center, in space now occupied by the China Buffet restaurant, in 1979. Then Valley View Mall opened along Hwy. 16 the next year, shifting shopping traffic out toward Interstate 90.

But Dahlby said she deliberately tailored her store to a different crowd - a mature shopper with a stable income and well -established tastes, rather than the mall-roaming teens and twentysomethings.

It helped her sales remain steady over the years, no matter what might be happening with the economy. "My clientele aren't affected that much by the economy," Dahlby said.

Or location. The store moved in 1989 to a site along Fourth Street, then to its current location in the historic Doerflinger building in 1991, yet saw its sales grow, Dahlby said.

It draws customers from three states, many of whom return to Feminine Fancies year after year. Dahlby knows, because she tracks them on index cards that record not only basic information, such as size or most recent purchase, but details like favorite colors and styles.

That information comes in handy when a friend or family member stops in to buy a gift.

"You have to listen to what the customer is looking for," Dahlby said.

More than price, fit is a big factor in what her customers choose to buy, Dahlby said. Early on, she began stocking slacks designed for an older body, plus an extensive line of petites.

"Usually if it fits and it's a color they like, it's sold," Dahlby said.

The racks in Feminine Fancies often have styles that can't be found in other area stores. Dahlby said she makes regular buying trips to New York, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago to pick up new stock.

"Unusual, unique - different lines that the mall stores don't have," she said. "We don't go a lot with fads; we're pretty classic."

And sometimes whimsical. Sweaters and jackets decorated with dogs or cats have proven to be popular, she said. "And chickens are big this year," she said, showing a knit jacket with rooster and hens.

Another side of the store is devoted to more upscale wear. A few years ago, the store began offering mother of the bride or groom dresses, and this year added tuxedos and semi-formal wedding dresses.

Some retailers have abandoned the downtown for the Hwy, 16 corridor and mall area, but Dahlby said she has no regrets or intentions of moving from her Doerflinger location.

"I'm excited about the downtown. I certainly want to be here to experience some of the great things that will hap.pen," Dahlby said. "This is a great location; this building is a diamond in the rough."

She doesn't know whether she'll last another 25 years, but Dahlby said she has no plans in the near future to step away from the business.

"If I'm still enjoying it, I'll stay in here," she said.

"I've been able to do something I love and enjoy Not many people can say that. I enjoy people, and I enjoy clothes."