At Lulu’s Sisters––

You Don’t Have To Wait To Look And Feel Good

By Kaaren Valenta

As its name implies, Lulu’s Sisters is a different kind of clothing store.

The new shop, located at 43 South Main Street in the Village Square, features clothing in junior plus, missy, and women’s sizes 14 and up. The shop is the brainchild of Joe-Annis Iodice of Newtown, a successful management consultant in health care, who says she knows firsthand how difficult it can be to find hip, funky, fun, and beautiful clothing in larger sizes.

“I weighed 270 pounds in 1995,” she said. “It was impossible, even living in Manhattan with Bloomingdales just down the road for 15 years, to find clothes that made me feel good about wearing them.”

Catering to curvier women of all ages, Lulu’s Sisters has an especially large selection of junior plus, in sizes from 1 to 5X, missy, and women’s 14 and up.

“Junior plus is cut differently than misses,” Ms Iodice explained. “The scale is different. Tops tend to be shorter with arms that are narrower and shorter. This is youthful clothing that a heavier person can wear and look great in.

“I thought about doing this for a long time,” she said. “Women often think that they will wait to buy clothes until they lose weight, but I wanted clothes that I wouldn’t have to wait for. I felt that here’s where I am in my life, and I want to look good and feel good now.”

Although she has since lost a significant amount of weight, Ms Iodice said Lulu’s is not about being a certain weight or size. Rather it reflects the fact that women can reinvent themselves at any age, and at any stage of life feel good about themselves, inside and out, at whatever weight or height they happen to be.

“I would love to have had access to a shop that could have provided for me and did not patronize me, nor assume what I wanted in clothing,” she said.

Ms Iodice has lived in Newtown since 1997. Her sisters –– Clara, Donna, and Lulu –– live in Florida.

“Lulu is a size four although she once ballooned up to a six,” Ms Iodice said. “The rest of us are all size 14 and larger. That explains the name Lulu’s Sisters –– it’s a kind of fun, a reverse exclusion.”

Opening in the fall was a challenge because the suppliers already are taking orders for spring.

“There are still a lot of things to come in,” Ms Iodice said. “Many things flew out the door when I had my grand opening on October 4.”

Besides clothing, the shop features jewelry from Jill Schwartz and Michele Brodsky as well as local jewelry supplier Chicks & Stones, made in sizes to fit larger wrists. There are also wide-brimmed hats for all seasons, lingerie, perfume, aromatherapy, collector and couture handbags from such runway luminaries as “The World according to Jess,” hand-sewn scarves; sweaters commissioned by Lulu’s to be extra lush, long, and luxurious; pet luggage; perfumes, creams, herbal concoctions, and aromatherapy from Fredericksburg Herb Farm, Vt., and Baroness Cali Italian spa products, tools (yes, tools) for women, and unique gifts that include bejeweled cell phone satin purses, and crystal and beaded lanyards. Yoga wear will be coming soon.

“We have items as inexpensive as $6.50 to $10, but most of our clothing is moderate to high end,” she said. “I will have special occasion and prom dresses up to size 26 –– in prices from about $100 to $400 –– and I can also get them custom made in larger sizes by the higher-end designers.”

In addition to higher-end clothing by Sigred Olsen, Karen Neuberger, and Dana Buchman, Joe-Annis Iodice found funky, fun clothing from California manufacturers with an eye on a younger consumer, or someone young at heart.

“A lot of the handbags come from my sisters in Florida who go to the Miami Mart. So I’m not just buying through the New York shows,” she said.

Ms Iodice offers a closed door shopping service, by appointment, plus closet and image makeovers, and wardrobe brainstorming. Special orders can be accommodated as well as personalized shopping and gift giving.

“I have a wonderful local seamstress to do alterations, too,” she said.

Despite her enthusiasm, Joe-Annis Iodice might not have made the jump from health care to opening a shop if it had not been for the support of other women who own businesses in Newtown.

“Joan Yarrow of Victoria Yarrow Home Décor was my neighbor and has been so encouraging,” Ms Iodice said. “Karen Bauer of Style, Nancy Kost of the Magic Garden, Karen Murphy of Petal Pushers, Christina Maturi, the Chamber of Commerce president, and so many others have been so positive and helpful. Newtown is a wonderful place to live and do business.”

Lulu’s Sisters is open six days a week from 10 am to 6 pm. It is open late on Thursdays to 8 pm, and is closed on Mondays. There is a website at www.lulussisters.com. Joe-Annis Iodice can be reached at the shop at 270-3473 or by email at jai@lulussisters.com.