Behind the scenes at Style for your Shape

When Victoria Mutch went shopping as a teen, she longed to browse the rails and try on outfits with friends.

But growing up in the Nineties, the majority of shops did not stock clothes beyond a size 16. Fast forward to 2020 and Victoria decided to launch a size inclusive fashion boutique, partly inspired by her own experiences. Aptly named Style for Your Shape, Victoria now stocks fabulous clothes in a size eight to size 28. From supporting local charity, Charlie House, to helping women feel confident in their own skin, Victoria explains why it has been quite the journey.

“I currently work in drinks and consumer goods having left the oil & gas industry last year. I’m based in Glasgow during the week, so I juggle my day job with Style for your Shape where I am supported by one full time member of staff and three part time members. The focus was originally on plus size fashion and by 2022, we moved into our first premises. To be able to offer an in-person experience was key; you should be able to enjoy the same experience as everyone else regardless of size. The personal styling element was also important, I’d never seen people style curvier bodies before.

“I wanted to build the kind of shop that I wish had existed when I was a teenager. We steadily grew thanks to word of mouth; referrals saw us grow organically because people recommended Style for your Shape based on their own amazing experience.

“I soon realised that it made perfect sense to cater for all sizes, and I’m proud to stock a size 8 to a size 28. But once new traffic measures were introduced in the city centre, it was no longer sustainable for us to remain at Schoolhill. It was so challenging because we saw a 20/30% drop in turnover, so I took the decision to relocate to The Trinity Centre where there is more footfall. Even on the difficult days, I’ve always been driven by my passion to help women feel confident. The difference we make is what keeps us open. A lot of our ladies get quite emotional, they go on a real journey.

“I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with Charlie House, we have supported their Fizz and Fashion events for the last four years. The mums and carers who take to the catwalk rarely get time to themselves, helping them to feel special is in essence what we do all year round as a business.

“Our pop up shops have also done really well, we’ve held over 25 pop up events across the North East, including a six week stint in Elgin last summer. I’d love to have a boutique on a bus so we could tour the country and help thousands of women to feel amazing. For now, I’ll continue trying to change the narrative surrounding the city centre and work closely with other local businesses.