Well suited to mix and match- Ida Jane shops specialise in lots of small ranges of garments th

TEN years ago the first Ida Jane store opened in Heathmont.
Now with seven stores, including one in the Mountain Gate Shopping Centre, Ida Jane is a real success story.
Ida Jane founder, Jane Wathen believes that fashion should be fun, not stressful.
“So I create lots of small ranges of garments that “mix and match” together,” she said.
“I understand not everybody has a size 8 super model figure.
“I realise there are far more perfect size 12, 14 and 16 ladies who also wish to dress in the latest looks and feel comfortable wearing them.”
With this in mind, Ida Jane sample garments are made in size 14, which is the average size of Australian women, so whether size 10 or 20, the garments fit properly.
Being closely involved in all aspects of her business, Jane receives a lot of comments from customers saying that everywhere they look there is a “sameness” in fashion shops, with little choice of colours and sizes.
“Not only are my designs exclusive to Ida Jane stores, I also take particular pride in searching for different and exclusive fabrics from all over the world,” she said.
“If you are looking for something different to wear why not check us out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Jane first started making her own garments when she became frustrated with what was available in shopping centres.
Clothes that fitted well and looked good proved hard to find.
“I found myself wandering around, trying to find something that fitted as well as looking half decent, so decided to design and make my own garments,” she said.
Purchasing interesting fabrics from all over the world and using local manufacturers Jane soon put together a ‘mix and match’ range of garments, selling them to fashion retailers under her exclusive Ida Jane label, which is designed to cater for all ages and sizes.
Ida Jane became very popular after a few years of wholesale so Jane decided to open her own boutique.
With Jane’s whole family involved, the number of Ida Jane boutiques increased until reaching today’s total of seven, all selling a wide range of clothing styles for women of all ages and sizes.
The Ida Jane label caters for casual wear and her second label, Jane Wimmers, rounds out her collection with party and special occasion wear.
“I set out to design exclusive garments in different fabrics but, most importantly, all our styles will fit properly,” said Jane.
Featuring the latest season’s trends, Jane’s designer clothes arrive in the boutiques every week.
Leftover stock is cleared at reduced prices to make way for the new arrivals.
Frustrated fashion shoppers looking for something different and garments that fit should check out Ida Jane where staff provide the best in customer service and helpful advice.
The Ferntree Gully Ida Jane boutique is at Shop 47, Mountain Gate Shopping Centre. Phone 9735 1455.
The store is open from 9.30am-5pm Monday to Thursday, 9.30am-6pm on Friday and until 3pm on Saturday.