GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, NL – Melanie Cater had a vision when it came to creating her own boutique and signature collection – everything had to be perfect.
“I really wanted it to reflect me and my style, (which is) mom jeans and a grey T-shirt, so designing the signature T-shirt was a huge deal for me,” said Cater.
Black and Arrow’s signature T-shirt took a lot of time, effort and research for Cater,
“I wear grey T-shirts all the time so it had to be the right softness, the right length,” she told the Advertiser. “I had to be able to roll the sleeves if I want to. It had to be perfect, so that took the longest time, and so far, everybody loves the signature T-shirt,”
Before launching her online boutique and starting a business administration courses online, Cater worked as a nurse. But she always had the dream of owning her own business and being her own boss.
Black and Arrow Boutique launched on Sept. 23 and so far, Cater says she has been getting an excellent reception from customers.
“People are ordering more than I thought they would, three and four pieces at a time,” Cater said.
If you visit the website you’ll notice each article of clothing has a name; for example, the signature T-shirts are named Maggie, after Cater’s beloved dog.
Cater takes a personal approach to naming the articles of clothing she spends so much time picking out for her boutique– she names the pieces after friends and family.
Her friend Courtney “tried on this body suit and it was made for her – so I named it after her. When I see certain items that remind me of somebody I name them after them,” said Cater.
Another fun and quirky aspect of Black and Arrow boutique is its “Fabulous Size” section, opposed to the standard plus-size sections on most other retail sites.
“I hate the word ‘plus.’ I don’t want someone to come on and feel like ‘oh I have to look on the plus section.’ I want them to feel good when they come on my website,” Cater explained.
The boutique caters to women of all shapes and sizes, while the signature T-shirts are a unisex line that Cater plans to expand.
“I want to expand my signature line mostly. I want to do hoodies and cute graphic Ts. I’m really excited about it,” she said.
With a full-time job, full-time classes and her business taking off, Cater is happy with keeping the business online, although she does aspire to one day open a storefront.
Cater runs every aspect of the business by herself, including order filling, packaging, and mailing, not to mention designing the signature line and picking out the clothing articles for the store.
“I do eventually want to have a store… right now the online thing is good because I’m so busy with everything else,” Cater said.
You can visit the Black and Arrow boutique online at https://blackandarrowboutique.com/