A mother and daughter team of entrepreneurs has launched a new shop in North Wales specialising in plus size prom dresses.<\/p>\n
Wendy Thompson and daughter Robyn, from Ruthin, in Denbighshire, came up with the idea after spotting a gap in the market for glamourous gowns made for fuller figured girls.<\/p>\n
Ffansi Ffrogs made a splash last year when the pair opened their first store in Clwyd Street selling conventionally sized dresses to cater for the growing demand among 16-year-old girls celebrating the end of Year 11 GCSE exams.<\/p>\n
The venture has proved so successful that in their first year they exceeded expectations \u2013 with the outfits they stock ranging from \u00a3205 to \u00a3575 in price.<\/p>\n
Sales are already well ahead of this time last year but Wendy and Robyn realised there was a real need for plus size dresses for curvier girls \u201cwanting to look sensational\u201d in a fancy outfit at their prom nights.<\/p>\n
As a result, they now have two shops across the road from each other, with the original business moving to larger premises and the new boutique being located in the first store.<\/p>\n
The prom tradition originated in America where the semi-formal promenade dance is a rite of passage for students in their last year of high school.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s now so popular in the UK that 85 per cent of schools here hold one to mark the end of the GCSE year.<\/p>\n
Robyn, a sixth form student at Ysgol Brynhyfryd in the town, was the inspiration for the venture which is already attracting plenty of attention.<\/p>\n
Robyn said: \u201cWhen I was in Year 11 in 2023 we had to go to Liverpool to find me a prom dress and even that was in a bridal shop where I didn\u2019t really feel like I belonged and felt like I less important than their bridal selection<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we just wanted to make this a special experience for girls with a variety of dresses in different styles which are designed specifically as Prom dresses and just for girls of my age.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new shop aims to do the same for plus-size girls because it\u2019s important for them to have the same experience as everyone else and we can stock so many different styles as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s already all systems go because the girls tend to choose the dresses way before their exams and they pick them up anytime between now and May.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut generally the plus size girls think about prom later than the conventional size girls because they aren’t anticipating a good experience and are pushing it to the back of their mind for as long as they can. Our aim is to make a totally positive experience for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ffansi Ffrogs doesn\u2019t do walk-ins \u2013 it\u2019s by appointment only and they encourage parents or grandparents to share the experience and provide them somewhere comfy to sit along with tea or coffee and chocolates.<\/p>\n
Wendy and Robyn aim to make the exclusive experience the same for all their customers, whatever size they are.<\/p>\n
Wendy said: \u201cFor a plus size girl it\u2019s no good showing them a size eight dress they might love but not be able to try \u2013 they want to see how they look in a dress that\u2019s their size and that is what the new shop will allow them to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will stock from size 18 up to size 30 and will have a variety of styles to choose from and so they can try everything there and see how it looks.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our plus size girls told us, \u2018Why shouldn\u2019t girls my size realise they can look beautiful\u2019, – that\u2019s because the message they\u2019ve had from society is that you need to be skinny to look good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t come into this from a fashion background so it was new to us\u00a0 and when we launched Ffansi Ffrogs we didn\u2019t know if anyone was going to walk through the door, whatever size they were.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were told by experts to concentrate on the smaller sizes and just have four or five dresses which are designed to flatter the fuller figure.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we realised plus size girls weren\u2019t getting the same experience as everyone else and we want to change that with our new bespoke boutique.<\/p>\n
\u201cSize should not be a barrier to a memorable prom experience \u2013 every girl regardless of her size deserves to look and feel amazing at their prom.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust like the original shop, the dresses are designed for Prom and Year 11 girls and even if they\u2019re a bit apprehensive and uncomfortable when they come in for their appointment they will soon get into the experience and realise it isn\u2019t a scary thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur appointments are 90 minutes long because this is something that has to be right and if it takes more than one appointment to find the right dress then that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbove all we want this to be a positive, confidence boosting experience for the girls to allow them to see they can look just as amazing as the slimmer girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur collection is, if we do say so ourselves, amazing. We have over 30 plus size dresses in a variety of styles and colours and we believe it is unrivalled not just in North Wales but far beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wendy previously ran a children\u2019s play centre in Wigan which she opened because she felt there wasn\u2019t a good option in Wigan, where she is originally from, for Robyn and her younger brother, Toby.<\/p>\n
Before that she had been a primary school teacher and a corporate lawyer and she added: \u201cI opened the prom shop because there wasn\u2019t one in this area but I was amazed to find that I was getting customers from all over North Wales and even from further afield.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also wanted Robyn to have experience of what setting up and running a business entails and understand the challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe operate by appointment only because it detracts from the special experience if other people are just browsing and it works because we have already over 10 times as many dresses for Prom 2025 as we had at this time last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the girls are already thinking about it and now we need to encourage the plus size girls to give us the opportunity to make prom shopping special for them too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are definitely bringing people to Ruthin who wouldn\u2019t normally come here and encouraging them to explore the excellent shops and cafes in our beautiful town.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more on Ffansi Ffrogs go to their website at <\/strong>https:\/\/ffansiffrogs.co.uk\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n