Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer
ABOUT SHOPTALK SHOPTALK ALLOWS people to describe the rewards and challenges of their jobs. In doing so, they reflect the energy, imagination and hard work that characterize the workplace in Maine. THE QUESTIONS for Shoptalk are compiled by Staff Writer John Rolfe. DO YOU KNOW of someone who would make an interesting candidate for Shoptalk? SEND YOUR suggestion to jrolfe@pressherald.com.
A: I just felt, like, the jeans in my closet -- they breed! And I tried to come up with something catchy. And we also wanted a lot of trees (for decor). It takes a lot to fill a space of 1,200 square feet.
Q: Do you sell only women's jeans?
A: I would say we sell about 10 percent men's. We have 100 pairs of men's to more than 1,000 women's. I'd love to include more men's inventory, but we'll see how it goes. I'm now getting about one guy for every 10 or 20 women who come in.
Q: Why?
A: I just think that guys, well, especially in Maine, they're kinda used to what they know, devoted to their Levi's. They're not inclined to go shopping out of state or in the Old Port ... It's probably a question of awareness, getting the men in here.
Q: Is being on Route 1 an advantage or a disadvantage?
A: Well, we have about 26,000 cars going by every day! A lot of drivers see the sign and stop in ... Scarborough isn't yet known for retail, but it's growing, and more retail is coming in. I was also trying to be creative and ahead of the trend with the location. And I wanted to have easy parking.
Q: Do you sell just high-end jeans?
A: Well, our range is $30 to $180, and jeans can go $300 to $600, so we're not too high-end. We have people who all of a sudden spend $100 on new designer jeans, and never thought they would -- that's 'high-end' to them. But our niche is 'real jeans for real people.' We have tummy-tuck, plus-sizes, butt- lifters --
Q: Er, is that a brand?
A: It's a kind of a style. The pockets are angled specially.
Q: You must often be asked, 'Does my butt look big in this?'
A: Yes, often.
Q: Tough question to answer.
A: I try to be honest with people when they come out of the dressing room. I'll say, 'I prefer the first pair -- those trim you down, make you longer and leaner,' rather than say something negative about the other pair. I want people to look and feel good in the jeans, and talk about them. It can be amazing when you put someone who's a plus-size in a nice pair of jeans, how their attitude can change. I think it's fabulous.
Q: Where do your people skills come from -- innate, or is it the (Aroostook) County upbringing, or -- ?
A: I think it comes from the school of hard knocks. I worked in New York City for two years, as an optical sales manager. A nice girl from Maine, and when I got to New York, I had to harden pretty quickly, and learn ... So to answer your question, it's a result of life experience. Definitely, a position in outside sales helped me grow professionally.
Q: Where did you go after leaving Van Buren?
A: I went to UMaine at Orono, for a degree in business management and fashion merchandising. When I got out of school, I did not want to work in a mall, so I never did anything with the fashion merchandising -- until now. I was in outside sales and sales management positions for 15 years. It's funny now, at 43, going back to what I went to school for -- but on my terms, doing the designing as well.
But I also lived in Bangor for 10 years, went to Colorado for a couple of years, then back to Maine. I've been back for six years now.
Q: How did the store come about?
A: For a couple of years I'd been wanting to invest in something, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Then over dinner one night my husband and I were talking about a women's clothing store ... and he's the one who said, 'Jeans. You're a jeans addict.'
Q: His name is?
A: Greg Cronin. He was a hockey coach at UMaine for many years, and was with the Islanders for the past seven years. So I got a hockey coach into designer jeans. And my 73-year-old dad (Louis Morneault) wears Buffalo jeans, out of Montreal.
Q: Did it cost a lot to open?
A: It did! And actually, I've been lucky that I haven't had to go to a bank yet. I saved for a number of years
... Not that I don't have debt, but the vendors have been very good to work with, and so far I've been able to do it on my own.
I knew I wanted to be in Scarborough, so I started with SEDCO (Scarborough Economic Development Corporation). I went to (SEDCO President) Harvey Rosenberg and he was really helpful, about where the town was going and whom I should contact. And from there I just read like crazy, doing a lot of research.
Q: Do you aim at a young demographic?
A: Not really. It's mostly moms, some trendy moms. The Not Your Daughter's jeans that are Oprah-recommended get a lot of moms in here. I think the most mature woman (customer) has been 79 years old and there are some young misses, styles for 8-year-old kids, so we can fit all age groups, but the target market is 40 to 50.
I try to carry things that are unique to Maine, which is eight or nine brands, although a couple of brands might be (elsewhere) in the area. David Kahn out of L.A., I don't think anybody else sells. The signature line is Jane, the one I design and unique to the store. I have eight other prototypes I'm working on now, and I hope to have them out by the end of the year.
Q: How much do they cost?
A: They retail at $120.
Q: Where are they made?
A: The factory is off the coast of Mauritius ... We found it through word-of-mouth connections, starting with contacts in New York, talking to people who know people, you know.
Q: Do you sell skinny-fit jeans?
A: The skinny-leg? Yeah. But not everyone should wear those.
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