Tired of the same old clothiers when trying to find an outfit for the weekend, or a dress for a formal event, thrown by one of the many Gainesville organizations? If so, I'd like to introduce you to Three Thirty Couture.
Three Thirty Couture is the brain child of Nicole Snodgrass, a Tampa native, who, in one visit to Gainesville realized the shopping here was as limited as the number of handguns allowed through airport security. At first glance from the outside looking in, it's hard to tell exactly what the store will entail, what they carry and how big it is... apparently, this is the point.
Three Thirty Couture was designed like one large (and awesome) walk in closet. From the second you walk in your eyes are treated by what appear to be hand stained wooden floors, elegant chandeliers and your nose is teased by the delightful aroma of mint chocolate. Not many stores use scent marketing but upon leaving the store, all I could think about was chocolate chip cookies and maxi dresses. The 'women love chocolate' theme continues with bowls of "Three Thirty Couture" branded mint chocolate morsels. And if just walking in is any indication of what is to come, the elegantly arranged clothes, surrounded by dark custom wooden cabinets, will abolish any remaining restraint you may have initially felt, to splurge on a new wardrobe.
Three Thirty Couture offers modern chic dresses that would feel right in any upscale New York City to South Beach night club, or casual 'game day' dresses that any sorority sister would wear in any of the many vibrant colors offered.
I asked Nicole where the inspiration for the store came from, "It's my dream closet", she said. The design of Three Thirty Couture's is a wall to wall walk-in closet that and Princess or Diva would be proud to own. It's hard to tell just how expansive the inventory of Three Thirty Couture is, but hands-down they offer the largest selection of woman's fashion clothes anywhere in Gainesville. The clothes are fairly priced, and compare well with other smaller boutiques but considerably less than the out of sight prices charged by other specialty boutiques in the area.
Ladies, you can't get your man to accomp women's jackets any you while you shop? Hold the presses, Three Thirty Couture offers him the first of its kind in Gainesville, the "man lounge", with comfortable leather seating, an Xbox 360, Wii, a 42" flat screen TV, (with ESPN) and a full range of complimentary adult beverages for those of age. The idea came from Nicole's husband Clyde, who said that as much as he loved shopping with his wife, having a place to sit and drink a cold beverage would definitely have him shopping longer.
From the moment you enter the store, your senses are assaulted by elegant style, wrapped in a comfortable, yet energetic atmosphere. From the chocolates to the chandeliers, from the party dresses to the bikinis, everything at Three thirty Couture was hand selected to make your shopping experience, a fashion extravaganza that you will want to repeat over and over.
I asked Nicole about her future plans for Three Thirty Couture. "Three Thirty Couture was created to fill a fashion void in Gainesville. We hope our Gainesville store is a first in a successful chain of boutiques in many of the college towns in Florida. We have a separate clothing line we are rolling out called 330 Designs. It will feature regional and up and coming designers, making it possible to purchase typically 'unavailable clothes' in person at one of Three Thirty Couture's boutiques. From custom designed evening wear, to matching game day dresses for sororities, we will offer something that no one else can or does." I can definitely attest that Nicole and her husband have done a terrific job making this store stand out. They spent allot of time to establishing their brand, prior to opening; a big must in today's market.
Stay tuned for more good things in the weeks and months to come. I was given a promotional code to let everyone know about. By texting "couture" to 25827, you open yourself up for weekly promotions they don't offer anywhere else. She also suggested individuals get connected with their Facebook page where almost daily updates are streamed live to 'friends of Three Thirty", offering again, a second way to receive discounts not available to the general public.
http://www.facebook.com/threethirtycouture
Nicole also made mention that they are the premier sponsor for Gainesville Fashion Week and that they would have a runway show on Saturday, the 11th at Villa East. She also let it slip that 'a big announcement' would follow the final show and that tickets were almost sold out.
A little about Gainesville Fashion Week.
Gainesville Fashion Week 2011 is a 5-day long series of events that will focus on Fashion, Art, Music and Culture in the Gainesville community. Each year they showcase Local and National Designers, Boutiques and Salons while providing exposure for businesses and vendors. Events range from exclusive parties, runway shows, art shows and a black tie gala.
http://www.gainesvillefashionweek.com
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