Two Big Blondes Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Two Big Blondes Consignment is excited to announce that their Twentieth Anniversary will be celebrated throughout the month of March 2017 with a special event honoring the past and current owners plus other special guests on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 2:00pm – 6:00pm.
Two Big Blondes is a consignment store that specializes in plus size women’s clothing. It was opened on March 27, 1997 by Winnie Smith and Judy Pugh, the original two big blondes. The store originally opened in a warehouse setting in Georgetown. However, customers still recall how happy they were to visit the new store that focused on clothing that fit them, instead of finding small selections in other Seattle thrift & consignment stores.
With the help from a small business grant from the City of Seattle, in 1999 the two blondes moved the business to its current location at 25th & Jackson in the Central District of Seattle. The location is well known in the community from the original owners who ran Frank’s Superette, which provided groceries and a lunch counter to customers. The building was also the home of the Chicken Soup Brigade Thrift Store, which later became Lifelong Aids Alliance and can now be found on Capitol Hill.
Susan Smith became the second owner of Two Big Blondes in 2007 and quickly expanded the square footage and selection of the store. After a career of running and building up businesses, she was ready to retire and sold the store to the current owner, her niece Lisa Michaud, in 2013. Lisa is a native of the Central District and was returning to live in the neighborhood with her family.
The store philosophy is simple: happy customers, a warm inviting place to shop, a comfortable space to embrace the beauty of our bodies, and quality clothes at great prices. With over 4,000 square feet of retail space and over 10,000 items in the store, there is a wide variety of styles – from junior trendy to Sunday best and casual to couture. There is a separate designer section and two salerooms that always have 25% - 75% discounts. Many people know of their bi-annual bag sales in the basement where you can fill a 13-gallon bag of clothes for less than $10 each.
Everyone is welcome at Two Big Blondes. The staff loves to meet new people and welcomes regulars, many of whom have been coming since it opened 20 years ago! In a rapidly changing neighborhood, Two Big Blondes strives to be a business that serves all customers – from local residents to friends that travel from out of the city and state.
Through its affiliated non-profit Seattle Women’s Assistance Fund, Two Big Blondes also provides free clothing to homeless and low-income women from the donations of the unsold items and proceeds from the bag sales.
Throughout the month of March, Two Big Blondes will celebrate their anniversary with special discounts including the ever-popular spinning wheel of deals (with added prizes), raffles, giveaways and online sales as well. On March 18, starting at 2pm, the store will host a party with special guests, entertainment, refreshments, raffles, photo booth and a chance to share your thoughts & memories of the store and the neighborhood.
More information will be available on the website www.twobigblondes.com, where you can sign up for the newsletter as well. Lisa can be contacted at info@twobigblondes.com or by phone at 206-762-8620 with further questions.
~Lisa Michaud