For those who’ve lived through the 80s and 90s, the idea of boutique shopping might conjure up images of Julia Roberts on Rodeo Drive in Pretty Woman, where commission-hungry salespeople belittle customers who don’t wear their finances on their power-suit sleeves. It’s an unfortunate stereotype, but at Z Boutique, Zoe Schuler and her sales team are familiar with breaking down all types of societal misconceptions.
Owned by Zoe and her mother, Marvel Felton, Z Boutique is a plus-size clothing store, which in the United States fashion industry typically means size 14 and up. To put this in context, roughly 67 percent of women in the United States are size 14 and up, with the majority wearing sizes 16 through 18. But Zoe’s issue doesn’t start at the definitions of plus size; it starts at the restrictions in fashion placed on those who are plus size.
“As a plus-size woman, finding clothing that was nice and not such poor quality that it falls apart was really hard,” says Zoe. “Being a 20-something plus-size woman in Madison, there was no place to shop. It was the back corners of department stores sifting through an old rack of giant flowers and hideous print clothing.”
To address the issue, Zoe envisioned a shopping experience that would be friendly and accommodating, but she wasn’t quite sure what that looked like. Before settling on a brick-and-mortar location, she considered a pop-up store and a website. The problem is those options felt too much like how she’d been shopping for clothes over the years: ordering something and then sending it back when it didn’t fit.
When she was 15, Zoe started working for Cornblooms shoe store at the Hilldale Shopping Center and was eventually promoted to manager. There, she learned to appreciate what a small business can do for its customers. She realized her own store would give her the freedom to stock the store with clothing her customers would love and provide a boutique level of service that wasn’t offered elsewhere.
“I have several customer segments in mind when I’m on a buying trip,” says Zoe. “On one hand, there are mature professional women who travel a lot and expect style and quality. Then there are young moms, still chasing after their kids, who are looking for clothes that move with them. We try to have something for everybody. What I really like to make sure we have is more elevated basics that won’t go out of style next year, that wash really well, and that don’t change their fit once you wash them.”
Z Boutique opened in 2013, which was when the body-positive movement was taking off. Though larger brands were starting to make clothing for plus-size women, many were still not getting it right. The message plus-size women were being told was they shouldn’t feel like they have to hide themselves, but how good can a person feel in clothing that’s meant to fit what amounts to a larger silhouette of a size 2? Plus-size women’s body shapes are different than those of smaller women, so if the clothing is going to look good and fit right, it needs to be designed around those silhouettes.
Zoe says, “I spend a ton of time doing research and finding brands.” Every season, she’s finding specific clothing that meets the needs of each of her customer segments. She sometimes even pays full price so that she can wear them and see how they fit. Over a decade into the age of body positivity, it’s still difficult to find things that fit right that also don’t feel cheap or like they’ll fall apart.
When a customer comes into Z Boutique, Zoe wants all those worries they have about shopping for clothing to disappear. “We just want everybody to feel welcome with a no-pressure type of situation. We want them to feel like they’re shopping with a girlfriend with suggestions of style and things you can fit together. If somebody just wants to browse, they’re welcome to do that too. We’ve had customers come out of the fitting room in tears of relief, saying, ‘Oh my gosh, everything fit me.’”
There’s quality behind every product Zoe sells. A piece that fits right is a great start, but what’s the point if it barely lasts a season? She likes designers that have a story behind them to show they’re thinking about the person who will wear their pieces. Instead of a polyester t-shirt akin to those at a big-box store, Zoe would rather sell a $50 t-shirt made with intention that will last five times longer.
Sustainability is also on Zoe’s mind, which is part of why she runs a semiannual consignment sale. “Twice a year, I do a plus-size resale pop-up in the store. We invite our customers to set up an appointment with me and bring in gently used plus-size clothing. We sell it for them; they earn store credit. … This year, in addition to the pop-up takeover, we’re going to test out carrying consignment all the time in a small section of the store.”
The bottom line is, as plus-size women, many of Zoe’s customers spend a lot of time being hard on themselves, so Z Boutique provides some reprieve. When a person works hard to make themselves presentable and still doesn’t feel good about themselves, when there’s an assumption out there that a person looks a certain way because they’re too lazy or have no self-control, Zoe provides a space for them to restore their self-image. She wants her customers to know they deserve to be taken seriously.
“I’m really proud of building this community here. I think plus-size women, especially middle-aged plus-size women, get overlooked so often. I think they don’t get a boutique shopping experience. Now, they get the opportunity to come into a shop and be catered to. I’d love it if they can just feel more confident or more beautiful when they leave. That’s my goal. Even if they just feel seen or they just had somebody to talk to or had a pleasant experience, they didn’t have to think about how they should change for 15 minutes.”
Kyle Jacobson is a writer who wonders why everyone who knows better does worse.
Photographs by Eric Tadsen.
Z Boutique
6108 Mineral Point Road
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 819-8799
z.boutique