Velvet Magazine September 2016

Cream of Royston
John Street
Royston, SG8 9BE
Tel: 01763 244073
www.creamfashions.com
Be Our Guest
We speak to Sue Ross, owner of Cream of Royston, the occasion wear specialists,
who offers her advice on the season ahead
Cream of Royston has been solidly trading in Royston for over
40 years. Sue has really learnt what works well for them in their
Royston store. “We initially started selling mainly casualwear but,
as the demand for formal occasionwear increased, we had to be
reactive to what the customers were wanting.” Sue told us. There
have been many changes but today they stand as a predominantly
special occasion store.
Sue’s success can be pinpointed to a number of different things
such as their extensive amount of stock and exceptional customer
service. “We are able to offer our customers a full shopping
“We’re able to
offer customers
a full shopping
experience
where they can
come to us and
be kitted out
head to toe”
experience where they can come
to us and be kitted out from head
to toe. We offer everything from
clothing (sizes 8-24) to shoes and
bags, hats, fascinators and lingerie.
I think that”s really important and
is just one of the reasons we have
customers travel to come to us,”
Sue explains. Some customers travel
from over a 50-mile radius and have
even flown in from abroad.
Not only do they offer an
exceptional range of occasionwear
from brands such as Condici, John Charles, Ispirato and Ann
Balon, they also have less formal collections from Michaela
Louisa, Gerry Weber, Frank Lyman and Gina Bacconi which
are more suited for a day at the races, guest at a wedding or a
wedding abroad or family christening.
Mothers usually purchase their outfits four to six months before
the event and customers are given the option to change it if they
see something they prefer later, but they very rarely do. Once
everything gels and you have that ‘wow factor’ you have found the
outfit. It is usual for Mothers to co-ordinate with the wedding
party. Many brides have a colour scheme for bridesmaids and
men’s suits and we work around this either to blend or contrast.
Winter weddings vary according to whether it is church or civil.
Dresses and coats with a sleeved dress underneath are popular
for church weddings. For a civil wedding it is usually a dress and
jacket with fascinator. New season collections are always exciting.
“2017 is quite pastel. There will be a lot of lemon, pale pink and
pale blue in plains and prints. When it comes to more timeless
colours, navy and cream will always be popular. Lace is still
standing strong and I am currently looking for some new brands
for the store so watch this space!” Sue tells us. 2017 collections
arrive in store from November 2016. So by the end of December
most ranges are in store.
Whilst the outfit itself must be chosen to flatter, enhance and
suit the occasion, Sue also stresses the importance of what’s
underneath. “We have a well stocked lingerie department with
brands such as Fantasie, Lepel, Charnos, After Eden, Royce and
Triumph. The correct underwear can alter the whole look of a
garment.” Sue tells us.
Shoes and bags are made in different heel heights in Spain in
beautiful leathers and Rainbow Club can be dyed to match the
outfit. As if this wasn’t enough, Sue and her team offer a free
alteration service on all full-priced outfits bought in store, a fitting
being carried out one month before the event, thus ensuring a
perfect fit.
Feel free to pop in, or alternatively, if you are after a more
personal service, why not book an appointment.
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Velvet Magazine | September 2016