'We were the first shop to have a curved model in the window,' says Tipperary shop owner

Carmel Evans, owner of women’s fashion boutique In the Wardrobe, talks to Tipperary Live about owning her shop in Clonmel and what makes them different from other boutiques.

Carmel’s career started when she decided to go into partnership with her brother who owns Wurlitzer which is a men’s shop in Clonmel. “That was 1996, so almost 30 years ago.” says Carmel.

About 13 years ago Carmel decided to open her own boutique selling women’s fashions in Carrick-on-Suir and about 10 years later she opened her store in Clonmel where she is being interviewed.

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“When I first opened the shop we bought in all sizes, and that’s when we first introduced the word curves, which wasn’t heard of in Ireland at the time, everything was ‘plus size’. We were the first shop to have a curved model in the window.”

Carmel tells Tipperary Live that her shop caters for sizes UK 6-16 and 18-28/30.

“We’re a one stop shop with all sizes.” says Carmel. When In the Wardrobe first started doing fashion shows, people did not want to include curvy models and so Carmel refused to take part in them until that changed.

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“Looking back it’s funny how hard it was, things have changed thank god.”

In the Wardrobe employs five employees, part-time and full-time. They also have a loyal customer base, with some coming further afield than just Tipperary.

“We started posting little videos on Facebook and now we have a wide circle of customers from places like Kerry, Cork and Limerick, who come up to the shop in Tipperary.

“I think that’s because we cater for every size, our prices are good and we have different styles from more casual to occasion wear. We do a lot for races too.” What makes Carmel’s store unique is their commitment to customer service.

“It’s not about a sale to us, it’s about repeat customers. We take time for people and help them figure out what looks best on them. We like to make people feel comfortable as trying on clothes can be nerve-wracking for some people.”

With this in mind it’s not surprising that In the Wardrobe has received many awards for their efforts. The shop has received an ‘Ireland got curves award’ and they have also received Silver and Bronze in the Tipperary Boutique awards, just to name a few.