Chillin' Couture Offers 'Trendy' Option for Young Women's Clothes

By Joel Frady

Ever since Lourdes Castano moved to Ashe County with her daughter in August of 2006, she noticed that

something was missing. A native of Miami, Fla., Castano moved to Ashe because she was "tired of the rat race," but the long-time fan of fashionable clothing found it hard to find the shirts, jeans and scarves she had always enjoyed.

"From the time that we moved, I saw the need for a clothing and fun store for the young girls in the county," she said. "There are other stores for the more mature ladies, but there was really nothing trendy or contemporary for the younger girls."

For years, however, it was just an idea. Castano said it wasn't until her daughter graduated from high school and moved back to Florida for college that she started to seriously consider opening a clothing store.

"Initially, my vision was a lot narrower than it developed," she said. "I thought it would be nice to have fun clothes. I found that myself and other people that I talk to, they go off the mountain to buy trendy clothes.

"I didn't understand that," she continued. "Why aren't we holding on to that money here locally? Why isn't anyone catering to that market? We're catering to the mature market, but the younger women have to leave."

Castano first looked to share space in other clothing stores, but was unable to locate a proper location. But "as time went on, I was getting more and more drawn into the idea, becoming more and more passionate about it and what it could become," she said.

But she heard of a building in downtown West Jefferson that had recently been purchased by Greg and Heidi Eason. The space, located beside Bluemoon Guitars, was exactly what Castano had been hoping to find.

It wasn't long before Castano was hanging clothes and decorating her vision, which she named Chillin' Couture. With the store, she hopes to provide both a place where people can find clothes and kick back.

"I wanted it to be inviting," she said. "I wanted it to be homey, a place to shop, relax or just chill out."

The store currently offers such brands as Diesel and Guess, along with a variety of shirts and scarves. Castano, who started working in retail at a Loehmann's store when she was 15, said the goal is to find clothes "that are different. Feminine, but not in your face; classy and cute."

For Castano, it's providing the opportunity to pursue her love for fashion.

"Fashion is something I've always enjoyed," she said, noting that it started at Loehmann's. "I got spoiled with wanting nice clothes back then, and it always stayed with me.

"Being a girl is so much fun," she continued. "Being feminine, getting to wear different things, make-up, doing different things with your hair; there's always a fresh canvas every morning to start with and try different things."

Castano doesn't simply want to open a new business, however, and has already began to find new ways to get involved in the community. She has started a Prom Dress Bank at Chillin' Couture that seeks to provide prom dresses for "girls that might not be able to afford to go to prom." A dozen dresses have already been donated to the "bank," which can be rented for only the price of dry cleaning.

"I feel that nobody should not be able to go to prom, because maybe mom and dad have to pay the electric bill and can't afford a prom dress," she said, noting that she is always accepting old prom or bridesmaids dresses for the "bank."

Despite saying that it is "a scary time to start a brand new business," Castano also feels that her store was "meant to be.

"Once it started going, it was amazing how many people offered help that I didn't even know," she said.

Chillin' Couture is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. To find out more, contact the store at (336) 846-2456, click to www.chillincouture.com or visit the store at 210 South Jefferson Avenue in West Jefferson.