ROGERS — Owning her own boutique clothing shop has been a dream come true for Stevette Mayes for 16 years, but her life will take on a new chapter as she retires from her shop, Stevette’s Fine Fashions, later this year.
“I had wanted a store since I was about 12 years old,” Mayes said.
As a child in Benton, Mayes was enchanted with a boutique her mother visited. Mayes’ mother made her clothes when she was small. As a teen, she put her school clothes on layaway and saved money from babysitting and baling hay to buy at the town’s two department stores. The boutique store fascinated her, Mayes said, probably because she couldn’t afford it.
When she needed a special occasion dress, Mayes would visit a department store, try on clothes and show her mother what she liked. Her mother would get a pattern and alter it. Mayes would pick out the fabric.
AT A GLANCE
Fashion Tips From Stevette
When Stevette’s Fine Fashions opened in 1997 tailored suits were “the thing,” said Stevette Mayes, store owner. This year’s trends are different.
• Waistbands for jeans are moving higher.
• Animal prints and bright colors are in style.
• Pant lengths are 2 inches above the ankle for crop pants or an inch below the ankle for skinny pants.
Source: Staff Report
“We would copy that dress,” she said.
She remembers long shopping trips to Little Rock. While her mother pored over traditional Butterick patterns, Mayes would page through Vogue patterns.
“I wanted that one edgy outfit that nobody else had,” she said.
The idea permeated her shop.
Rogers is so small that it would be easy for two women to end up with the same outfit, said Jennifer Stallbaumer, who works at Stevette’s.
“You don’t want to see yourself coming and going,” she said.
To combat that, Mayes ordered limited quantities of casual and cocktail clothing.
Customers ask her what to wear, and she dresses them. There is a balance, Mayes said, for women who are post-college or post-baby and who want to look fashionable without trying to dress too young.
“We know body types here,” Mayes said. “There’s no such thing as a perfect or an ugly woman. I know how to hide most flaws.”
Ruth Davis, owner of Favorite Tuxedos and Alterations and Holy Orders Liturgical Threads, said she has entered Stevette’s more than once and been persuaded to try on something she didn’t think would flatter her. Nine times out of 10, she said, she walked out of the store with that item in a shopping bag. Downtown, Davis said, is pretty full at the moment, but the service will be missed.
“I love small shops,” Davis said. “It’s nice going in and having someone wait on you.”
Shoppers often get a boost of self-esteem after finding an outfit that makes them feel fabulous, Stallbaumer said. Mayes feels strongly connected to the community and will miss her customers, Stallbaumer said.
“It’s more than just a store for her. This is her home and these are her people,” she said.
Mayes bought Four Seasons from Barbara Stone in 1997. The store moved next door to its 215 W. Walnut St. address after Touch of Class went out of business about eight years ago.
Mayes said she plans to travel. Unless someone else buys the store, it will close when the discounted inventory sells or in early December, she said.
“It’s time for some young blood to take over,” she said.
Janice Craig, of Rogers, stopped by the shop Wednesday to pick up a Razorback shirt she’d seen a friend wear the day before.
“We’ll sure miss the convenience of the downtown store,” Craig said.