More to Love

Las Vegas just got a little more in touch with real women. It happened on a recent Saturday morning when the doors opened to a little boutique called Voluptuous.

The clothes are trendy and the prices budget-friendly, but that's not exactly what had ladies forming a line 3½ hours before opening time -- in the unforgiving 107 degree sun. True to its name, Voluptuous caters to women who wear sizes 14-24. The same women who've grown accustomed to paying more money for less style and making up the majority of American women, but still representing the minority in major retailers.

The precedent she's setting with the first locally owned boutique dedicated to plus-size women isn't lost on owner Patty Barba, either. "It's almost like opening the first water park in the hottest place on earth," she says.

That's precisely the way her new customers see it. "We didn't want everyone to buy up all the stuff before we got here," says Ruth Munk, 37, who awaited the opening in line with her girlfriend. "Having a store in Las Vegas that you know you'll be able to wear everything -- everything is going to fit -- that's huge. We literally have to drive to California to get more (plus-size) stores."

When the doors finally opened, the 1,294-square-foot boutique was standing room only. Shoppers couldn't help but bump each other's shoulders. Even the large-framed mannequins tipped back and forth a few times. One woman, holding a printed tunic, demanded a staff member head to the back to find her size because it couldn't have already gone out the door and she didn't get there this early for nothing. Turned out she missed it on the rack during her hurried hunt.

She wasn't the only customer shopping as if someone was holding a stopwatch at the cash register, either. Ten minutes after the doors opened, half the store had already formed three new lines, this time in front of the dressing rooms.

The term "just browsing" probably never occurred to these women. For them, window shopping only takes place at Lowe's. Whereas the shoppers next door -- at one of Barba's three eponymous Patty's Closet boutiques --take their time perusing the store and enjoying the boutique experience, Voluptuous shoppers don't have that luxury. In fact, it seems the flash of the fuchsia walls, '80s motif and wall of 45 records in the boutique is lost on these focused shoppers. These ladies have grown accustomed to ignoring distractions and seizing the opportunity when shopping.

Just ask Jennifer Saft, 23. For her, getting to the Voluptuous opening early wasn't good enough. She had to be first in line, even if it meant claiming her spot at 7:20 a.m. "I love boutiques but most don't cater to large-size girls so I knew I had to get there and get there fast," she says.

Although the dollar volume for all women's apparel in the U.S. didn't increase or decrease over the past year, it did for women's plus-size apparel. By 2 percent according to NPD Group, a leading market research company. Still, retailers are slow to include the plus-size customer. The ones who do often hike up prices, pointing to more fabric as the culprit. Barba's prices at Voluptuous boast the same budget-friendly numbers that turned the Patty's Closet boutiques into such success stories. Tops run $20-$22, dresses are $25-$28. Barba suspects plus-size retailers are simply taking advantage of a specialty market. If the customer's options are limited enough, they'll pay whatever price necessary. Or take whatever measures necessary.

Patti Pallotta, 36, used to visit Patty's Closet for accessories and the occasional top that agreed with her plus-size build. On one shopping trip, she took a top into the fitting room and had to call a sales girl for help out of it. The elastic waist refused to slide up or down. "Some of her larges just weren't large enough," says Pallotta. She doesn't foresee that problem at Voluptuous.

If Barba's plan works out, a Voluptuous boutique will open next to every Patty's Closet in town. She and her husband, Juan Barba, hope to open another Patty's in the northwest part of town because of the demand from customers. Their first store opened at the onset of the recession and they've continued to expand ever since.

What's her entrepreneurial secret to success? "I don't do research," says Barba. "I just listen to women."

And the women are thankful for it.

Voluptuous is located in Henderson at 10271 S. Eastern Blvd., Suite 114, 982-2049.