Community Corner
No Sorrow in Saying Goodbye to Verenique's
Carol Girardi is looking forward to retirement and spending time with her grandchildren. But she is concerned with leaving a hole in a market that served plus-sized women.
"Everybody comes in and says, 'I'm so sorry, what are you going to do?'," says Carol Girardi, owner of Verenique's Plus Size Boutique.
But Girardi says there's no sympathies necessary. After 17 years, the 61-year-old Cherry Hill resident is closing the doors of her dress shop, and looking forward to clearing off the racks and enjoying some quality time with family.
In fact, Girardi said, she feels worse for her clients.
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"I know that I'm leaving a big gap," she said. "I feel so sorry for my wonderful customers."
Girardi says there's no other gallery where plus-sized women can try on the kinds of clothing that she carries in person, and in the days of online shopping, a store like hers is harder and harder to come by.
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"We go up to size 34," Girardi said. "We're the only one you can come in and try the dress on.
In a culture that isn't very accepting of size, Girardi said, to give her customers "something beautiful to wear" was more than just a business to her.
"One came in and said, 'When my son got married, you gave me back my self-esteem.'".
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