Self-employment
Business builds on curvy assetsEntrepreneur Stephanie Agosta was frustrated with her shopping experiences as a plus-size woman. ROGER PIERCE -- www.bizlaunch.ca |
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 [ 2007-11-28 ] |
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Stephanie Agosta has launched a clothing business tailoring to plus-size women. Visit www.gutsydame.com.
"Current retail offerings for plus-size women are meagre, at best," she says. "And, there's not much out there for young and trendy women."
Agosta owns Gutsy Dame (www.gutsydame.com), an online store providing young plus-size women in Canada a place to shop for stylish, trendy, comfortable and affordable clothing.
The website supplies detailed written product descriptions, including size charts for each item and recommendations for certain body shapes, which enables women to find clothing in unique styles to suit their bodies.
Beyond its clothes, Agosta says Gutsy Dame has a mission. "We are deeply passionate about empowering young, plus-size women to show off their deliciously curvy assets," she says. "We encourage voluptuous women to feel confident and beautiful and to express their personal style."
The company seeks to make a difference in young women's lives by being a catalyst in the journey toward self-confidence, self-esteem and body acceptance by providing fun clothing options and by creating a supportive community of plus-sized women.
Agosta says it was her own issues as a plus-size woman that led to the launch of her company. "I was tired of not being able to find unique clothing in my size, and figured there must be many women who experience the same frustration," she recalls. "The lack of clothing options for plus-size women in Canada prompted me to start my own niche business."
Agosta calls starting a business a "scary adventure."
"Staring your own business forces you to look inside and face your deepest and darkest corners, such as your weaknesses, the personality traits you dislike in yourself, or skills you do not feel competent in," she says. "However, there is so much potential for significant growth in doing things that scare you!"
Agosta says her future plans for Gutsy Dame include producing a "body-positive, plus-size calendar, hosting plus-size events and organizing clothing parties similar to those old-fashioned Tupperware Parties in client homes."
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