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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Shop dresses up views of fashion
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Julia Kilgore had a hard time finding suitable formal dresses for her daughters to wear when they were in high school.
Nothing, it seemed, was age appropriate. Too many strapless backs, thigh-high slits and plunging necklines.
Too much Britney Spears. Too much exposed skin. Way too much immodesty.
“Sixteen and 17-year-olds shouldn’t be wearing that,” Kilgore thought at the time. “Some women shouldn’t be wearing it, either.”
Last week, we talked in a small shop off Main Street in downtown Lilburn. Kilgore and her married daughters - Paula Roberts of Snellville and Natalie Giddens of Lilburn - unwrapped about 100 dresses that had just arrived. The dresses are a variety of bright colors and variations of satin, all fashionably modest.
Finally, Kilgore has realized a dream she’s had ever since her girls were prom-age at Parkview High. She’s opened The Yellow Rose, a boutique whose name reflects her native state and her favorite flower. The shop specializes in modest formal wear for girls and women. Prom dresses will range from $150 on the low end to $500 or so on the high end. Bridal gowns are in the $250 to $1,000 range.
“I felt a need for this,’ said Kilgore, who has lived in the Lawrenceville/Lilburn area since 1975.
I do, too.
Some 12-year-old girls dress like 18-years-olds, and too many 18-year-olds dress like 30-year-olds. Too much of it is raunchy, and it’s not empowering. It’s shameful. A few years ago, AJC Gwinnett News did a photo spread on high school girls shopping for prom dresses. Some ensembles were too risqué to print.
Kilgore and her daughters have spread the word about the shop’s theme to private Christian schools. They expect The Yellow Rose to also appeal to young women in public schools who can’t find modesty at the local mall.
“A lot more girls would dress modestly if they had the opportunity,” said Giddens. “Girls think they are doing the guys a favor if they dress [revealingly]. I think most guys would prefer that girls dress modestly.”
She thinks about her last statement. “Some guys would.”
Kilgore will buy her dresses wholesale from Beautifully Modest, a private online retailer in Orem, Utah. When the business started almost a decade ago, some retail manufacturers laughed at the concept, said Phyllis Nielsen, the company marketing director.
Now there’s competition.
“Even now, some of them think it’s funny,” she said. “There are women out there who have certain standards that they are trying to stick to, and it can be very difficult. They want to be beautiful and elegant and don’t feel like they have to show a lot of skin to do that. They want to cover up.”
Kilgore and her daughters say they know many situations in which young ladies end up ordering online because they can’t find a variety of modest formal wear in stores. Others have even flown out west to places like Arizona to shop in specialty stores.
“We know quite a few who have done that, especially for weddings,” Giddens said.
Now, maybe they won’t have to.
The Yellow Rose, 79 Main St., Lilburn, initially will be open only by appointment. Details: 770-315-6823.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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