Stacie Mayo
Owner of Dress Code
Style & Wardrobe Consultant
One of my least favorite activities would definitely be writing or talking about myself, but I figured some of you may want to know a bit about me. Hmmm...well lets see. I worked in retail since...the day I turned 16 (no joke, I applied before and started one day after my 16th birthday, I couldn't wait!). I found myself working at each store for about a year, then moving to the next. Dress Code is bits and pieces of all of the stores I worked at and shopped at. I started college at the the University of Iowa..then after 2 years transferred to Iowa State and completed a B.S in Apparel, Merchandising, Design & Production. Needless to say I was definitely a textiles major and enjoyed getting the degree.
From there I worked for various companies within the textiles field ranging from marketing and sales to production. During that time, I went to grad school for a Masters in Marketing...and started writing my business plan to open a store. I graduated and less than a year later I quit my job in importing and with the help of a family friend in Iowa my loan was approved. I opened MainStreet Couture on March 17th, 2006. In January 2009, I decided it was time for a name change, and renamed my store Dress Code, however the foundations of MainStreet Couture are stronger than ever.
My store takes a bit of a different approach to retail, as I have never bought into the consumption mentality that more is better. Every big box store (and many of our department stores) have the same item (also available in every every color of the rainbow) on sale 2 for $20 or whatever it is. And wow! This year's version is a slight variation of the last, but do we really need new variations of last years cuts- every year? Even if they each are slightly different, I just don't get it and I don't think so. The mass produced products have never excited me even if it is cheap. (yes, I did work at Old Navy among others) And moreover-it seems that large scale retailers keep producing merchandise that we don't really need more of, but get us with the fact that it is such a great price! I promise you will never see a volume promotion in my store, or sales gimmicks-please buy it because you like it, and because you don't have anything else like it!
I also see the effects of our mass production retailers in our closets! And many times it is the cause of chaos in the wardrobe. Either way, it is important to buy-when the product is right for you- taking fit/color/cut/function and so forth in to account. It is my promise to you that I will never encourage you to buy something that is not right for you, and I reserve the right to discourage you if its not right. If you say 'Be honest" trust me, I will. When you wear clothing from my store..and someone asks you where you got that, I want to know they are asking because they want it! But don't worry, I also rarely carry more than one piece per size.
I will also note that my store is a bit odd, and I like it that way. As for styles it is all over the board, because I buy somethings with a particular customer in mind, I buy somethings for a new look I want to work on, and I buy somethings because of requests from customers and so on. And I buy many pieces because they get me excited, or I have never seen a piece like it before! So, that's me, and a bit of my store's philosophy if you will. I hope you enjoy my store, and feedback is always welcome!!
Thank you,
Stacie Mayo