Apricot Lane site for unique style for the ladies

Cassidy: Louisiana has answers for nation’s woes
May 31, 2011
Katherine Newsom
June 2, 2011
Cassidy: Louisiana has answers for nation’s woes
May 31, 2011
Katherine Newsom
June 2, 2011

Shopping in the big department stores means racks and racks of shirts, shorts, pants and dresses in very similar styles and colors.


Scratch that. Not just similar; exactly the same.


Ladies may find something that looks great on them only to see a carbon copy of themselves walking into a restaurant on date night.

“I’ll get just six of most of my items and when it’s gone, it’s gone. I don’t re-order the same item. That way you don’t see yourself walking down the street or if you buy a dress for a party, three other ladies won’t have it on,” Apricot Lane Boutique owner Peggy Dugas said.


Dugas was born and raised in Houma and moved to New Orleans shortly after getting married. Twenty-five years later, the kids were all grown up and Dugas had enough of the big city. She and her husband Mike wanted to move back to Houma to be closer to family and friends.


The former soccer mom, school volunteer and kid chauffeur was used to life on the go and wondered what she’d do now that her nest was empty.

“We decided to open a boutique. We have been talking about opening something for years and I thought now’s our chance. I love clothes and always dreamed of having my own boutique. As a little girl, I would dream in my mind and could see what it looked like,” Dugas said.


Dugas and her husband did some research and decided on becoming an Apricot Lane Boutique franchisee. What appealed to Dugas the most was that even though she was buying a franchise, she would own the store and have almost total creative control over what she wanted to do with it.


“I have the guidance and support of a franchise behind me, but I told them I wanted to have some type of say as to what’s coming in my store. I wanted it to reflect things that I like as well. They said, ‘We can do that,'” Dugas recalled.

Apricot Lane’s president came to Houma and guided Dugas through getting her boutique set up and even helped choose the location.


“I was completely against the mall because I didn’t want mall hours. But when you look at the numbers, the mall really does have a lot of foot traffic. We felt like the mall was the place to be for a new business to get exposure,” Dugas said.


That was October 2010. After renovating the new store space, going on inventory buying trips and learning the basics of running the franchise, Apricot Lane Boutique opened its doors April 29.

“There’s so much to do and for a novice, such as myself who’s never done this before, I really needed guidance. We went to a huge apparel market in Las Vegas and met up with Apricot Lane there. We were like puppies on a leash but you learn real quick what you need to do,” Dugas said.


Another trip saw Dugas in Los Angeles where she met an apparel buyer who works strictly with Apricot Lane stores. She spent time in the garment district visiting different vendors learning what items were available for her boutique.

“She (the buyer) gets to know the individual owners and what they like. You have things coming out of containers that are shipped from wherever. She sees them being opened and is able to touch them for us, feel the quality of the fabric, see the color, see what it looks like in person. She sends us photos and we weed out the products that might not quite be what we want,” Dugas explained.

The Houma native said the Apricot Lane franchise has certain standards for her to follow, but it’s not so rigid that she has to use specific vendors. The franchise gives her suggestions, but what is ultimately stocked in her store is up to Dugas.

“Another neat thing about being a franchise rather than being a private boutique is that the Apricot Lane name carries a lot of weight. When we walk into market and they see that Apricot Lane is coming, they know that they have 40 to 50 stores that they’re going to sell to. So Apricot Lane’s name carries a lot of clout,” Dugas said.

When first entering Apricot Lane Boutique, the main focus is on denim jeans. Styles vary from basic to bling in boot cut, straight leg, skinny or slouchy boyfriend cut.

Dugas said she has received numerous requests for sizes 14-22, so she’ll have some sample jeans ladies can try on and if they like them, she’ll order them.

“Nobody else in Apricot Lane does this, but I thought it would be something neat to do. I’ve had a lot of women tell me they just can’t find jeans that fit,” she said.

The boutique is mostly stocked with pants, blouses, skirts and dresses in what Dugas refers to as L.A. brands. These consist of up and coming designers with the latest cutting edge fashions from Los Angeles.

“They’re at a lower price point but are of a good quality. I don’t want to carry something that’s going to fall apart. I carry at least 40 different L.A. brands as well as other name brands,” Dugas said.

Starting a ladies clothing boutique wasn’t without its challenges.

“Probably the toughest thing is that every item had to be unpacked, put on hangers, steamed and tagged. My father-in-law has learned so much about fashion. He’s 71 years old and he’d say, ‘Oh, this is a lingerie hanger. Do you want this (item) on it?’ I couldn’t have done it without the help of my family,” Dugas noted.

“The best part is I’ve met so many people. I’ve had a lot of friends come in that I haven’t seen in a while and I’ve made some new. I have a couple of ladies that come in here who’ve just been awesome and I already know them by name and they know me,” she said.

“Apricot Lane gives ladies a little individuality and lets them be able to do their own thing,” Dugas said. “What I wanted is a place for mothers and their daughters to shop. I’ve had girls as young as 13 come in here and buy dresses for their 8th grade graduation, a young woman buy something for her Nicholls graduation and a mom buy this beautiful lace dress. I’m trying to appeal to most women with unique items for those looking for nice, fashionable clothes. Not just trendy, but things you can keep in your closet for a while.”

Peggy Dugas offers a peachy selection of fashionable and functional women’s clothing at Apricot Lane in the Southland Mall. Standards and selection are priorities for this empty nester entrepreneur who wanted to offer inventory that is not like everything else in women’s wear. JENNIE CHILDS