Four decades of fashion: LaBelle Boutique marks 42 years in Kindersley
By Joan Janzen
Forty-two years in business is quite an accomplishment, and Frances McManus has been serving customers at LaBelle Boutique in Kindersley for more than four decades.
When asked the secret to her longevity, she quickly replied, "Loving what you do!" She enjoys coming to work every day and especially enjoys meeting people.
Frances today. Frances McManus has operated LaBelle Boutique in Kindersley for 42 years, and says she loves what she does and enjoys coming to work each day. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Wake up and smell the coffee. Frances greeted customers at 5 a.m. on a winter morning at LaBelle Boutique, where ladies arrived in pj's and housecoats to shop over coffee and doughnuts.
"I've met so many great people and made new friends over the years from everywhere," she said. Customers who patronize her store come from all the surrounding areas. She also has online customers from Regina, Saskatoon, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Vancouver, as well as from the Northwest Territories and England.
Born and raised in Kindersley, Frances has had the pleasure of dressing three generations throughout the past four decades. "I'm working on the fourth generation now," she added. "It's an honour that people rely on you for their outfits for special occasions. I've dressed lots of people for weddings and graduations."
She's also seen many changes since she opened her doors in the newly constructed Kindersley Mall in 1984.
"If someone wanted a special order you wrote a letter, and waited for a response," Frances recalled. Receipts were all handwritten and price tags were written by hand. Payment was made by cash and cheques. "There were no credit cards at the beginning."
Clothing styles are constantly changing, too. "Fancy dresses aren't quite as fancy anymore," she observed. Some of the clothing on display is very similar to fashions from the 1980s era. "What goes around comes around," Frances noted.
A wide variety of events also came around each year for Frances and her staff. "We still do fashion shows at Eston, Smiley and Acadia Valley. We've been to every town around here," she acknowledged. "We hosted a Mother's Day Brunch for 18 years with a fashion show at the Kindersley Inn ballroom. And held fashion shows in the mall where people would line up to watch."
Frances remembers hosting an event called "Wake up and smell the coffee," when they opened their doors at 5 a.m. on a winter morning. "You could see the vehicle lights coming over the hill," she said. "Everyone came dressed in pj's and housecoats. One customer put curlers in her hair for fun and we served coffee and doughnuts. It was very fun!"
As Frances navigates her 42nd year of business, she is thankful for the support of family and her husband, who sadly passed away earlier this year. "And I've had wonderful staff with many wonderful girls!" Frances said.