Katherine's Closet - from spare room to Cheltenham boutique

It’s just over a week since Katherine’s Closet, Cheltenham opened its doors but I want to look back not just to what was a truly wonderful opening day but to look back even further to the birth of the ‘Closet’.

The Katherine's Closet Opening Team!

Katherine’s Closet is the brain child of the wonderful Emma Adams. A vintage inspired fashion devotee herself, Emma knew the value of a good dress and the fantastic feeling you get wearing something that makes you stand out and feel truly feminine. She wanted all women– regardless of their size – to have that same empowering feeling you get from wearing beautiful vintage designs. And so starting with a few items in the first floor sitting room of her town house in Tewkesbury, ‘Katherine’s Closet’ was born.

The Closet Girls

By February 2014, as Emma says, a monster had been created! What began as a little hobby had morphed into a Facebook page business with 2,000 followers and a customer base of similar proportions. She quickly took the decision to move into small premises at Perform Fitness in Tewkesbury and operated from there for just over 12 months, carrying sizes 8 – 28 in most styles. And still the business grew! Now in July 2015 with nearly 4,500 followers on Facebook, Emma has been joined in the business by a new business partner, her friend Emma Mason and the business once again has morphed! This time moving into a fabulous new shop in an area of Cheltenham locally being coined as ‘The Home of the Hipster’ – Bennington Street. Nestled between, ‘Smokey Joe’s café’ – a vintage inspired diner and ‘The Libertine’ - a stunning vintage barber shop, the ‘Closet’s’ new home at 10 Bennington Street, Cheltenham couldn’t be more perfectly placed.

'Twinning it' with Betty Pamper



 As you know, I am the store’s Plus Size Ambassador and I am delighted to be sponsored by the ‘Closet’ in the forthcoming ‘Miss British Beauty Curve’ pageant. So I was ecstatic to be asked to help with the first day in the new store.  



Right to left: Emma Mason,
Betty Pamper & Closet Founder, Emma Adams

Opened by fabulous plus-size blogger, Betty Pamper www.pamperandcurves.com and with glorious entertainment from Betsy Harmony (http://betsyharmony.webs.com/)  and Sarah Kelly (http://uke-can.vpweb.co.uk/), it was a wonderful day! The ‘Closet Girls’ decked out in their ‘Nicky Rockets’ T-shirts, the wonderful cupcakes from by the lovely Suzi Thomas at ‘Spongecakes Suzebakes’ (http://www.spongecakessuzebakes.co.uk) and the chance to see founder Emma Adams dream of a 'wall of petticoats' realised was all I hoped it would be and more.


Wall of Petticoats

I have been extremely privileged to have been able to follow ‘Katherine’s Closet right from the very beginning and I am fortunate to count both business partners as my very close friends. Their combined passion for vintage inspired fashion for all women is as wonderful and enrobing as the warm welcome that they give to all who pass through the doors of the ‘Closet’.

A lovely welcome

  

 

 

But don’t just take my word for it: check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KatherinesClosetVintage and then pop on down to the ‘Closet’ (at 10 Bennington Street, Cheltenham) and see for yourself!