[ad_1]
HADDONFIELD — Jay West Bridal, a family-owned bridal boutique on Haddon Ave, will close permanently on Sept. 30.
During their 54 years of business, Sue Maslowski has worked with a seasoned staff of bridal consultants, many of whom are still there.
Patti Johnson, 70, has worked as a bridal sales consultant at Jay West for the last 18 years. After the business closes, she’ll be babysitting her only grandchild.
“I enjoyed working with the brides and I really enjoyed working with the mothers of brides and grooms,” she reflected.
Another gem closing:Cherry Hill health-food store shutting down after 30 years. Here’s what is next
Maslowski started opening boxes of fancy gowns at age 9 for her mother, Norma Maslowski, who started Jay West at its first location on Mechanic Street. She took over for her parents 10 years ago when they retired.
Like every small business, the store had its ups and downs, Maslowski said. Still, even during the pandemic, brides wanted the experience of coming in with their families to try on dresses.
“They still want to say yes to the dress with their family and friends,” she said. “They don’t want to open a box; there’s nothing sadder than opening a brown box in your room that you ordered on the internet. Like, ‘great. Nobody’s around to share (this moment) with me.'”
Maslowski has serviced thousands of brides and seen dress styles evolve and change over decades as she’s gained a wealth of fashion and business knowledge along the way. She’s done the eye-catching window displays since she was a kid.
“You have to know your laces, your fabrics, fit, how much you can let it out, how much you can take it in — all that stuff,” she described. “It’s one of those jobs that you just don’t learn overnight.”
The building, which sits at a prime location in downtown Haddonfield, is now up for sale.
Isabel Koyama is a community storytelling reporter covering South Jersey for the Burlington County Times, Cherry Hill Courier Post and Vineland Daily Journal. She holds a master’s degree in investigative journalism from Arizona State University. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ox_fur_comma.
Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
[ad_2]
Source link
