Now that Shadow Fashions is settled into its new location in the Miracle Mile Shopping Plaza, co-owner Chiquita McGlown Hague wants the community to know just what her fashion boutique has to offer.
“I want people to know that I’m in the neighborhood, and that I’m here for them.”
Shadow Fashions has occupied their 4600 sq. ft. retail space since October 2016, but McGlown Hague’s inspiration and love for fashion was fostered long before, when, as a little girl, she watched her grandmother set the bar for style.
“Fashion has been a part of my life since I can remember,” she said. “We were always well-dressed. My grandfather was a pastor and my grandmother was the first lady of the church. She was the lady who wore the elaborate hats and the fox stoles.”
A life change
But that love wouldn’t evolve into a business until 2000, after she injured her back and was forced to reassess her future. “I knew I needed to do something that I could do for the rest of my life, and this was it,” she said. Her husband Kenneth agreed, and the two left their lucrative jobs— Kenneth at Daimler Chrysler and Chiquita, from a 19-year career in nursing— to chase their dream. But the road to entrepreneurship wasn’t an easy one and the couple quickly encountered some of the “trial by fire” experiences that plague many new businesses, including theft, a struggle to find suitable employees and the consequence of being stretched too thin when they opened two locations.
Through it all, McGlown Hague said she learned a lot from those years. “The older I get, the wiser I get about things.” And the wisdom she’s gathered is reflected in the name she decided on for her boutique.
“Shadow is an image for me because I like to stay in the background of things,” she said. “I see this as my business that is also a part of my life and my dream, but to others it’s just Shadow. I’ve learned through experiences and with the way times are right now, sometimes you can make money if you just stay quiet.”
Letting the clothes speak
And even though McGlown Hague prefers to stay in the background, she doesn’t want that for Shadow Fashions. She said that her goal is to offer ladies and men casual dress options. For ladies— jeans, blouses, dresses and jackets, from junior sizes to women’s 3x, and for men— casual wear in regular sizes as well as big and tall selections in sizes 44 to 58.
For the ladies, Shadow Fashions offers a little something special— club wear. “We have bodysuits and jumpsuits in sheer fabrics and lace,” McGlown Hague said. “While it’s something that you can’t wear to school or to a picnic, you can definitely have a lot of fun in it after 9pm. It’s a hot commodity because women love to get extra dressy.”
McGlown Hague said that carrying these items in her store gives ladies the convenience to try on items, which they can’t do when shopping online. Up next for Shadow Fashions, is the April release of workout wear. “I’m super excited about our coming activewear selections and we’ll also feature gym shoes,” she said.
Open Monday through Saturday 11am-8pm.
Shadow Fashions is located at 4925 Jackman Rd. 567-318-5978. You can find them on Facebook by searching Shadow Fashions.
