Harrogate store celebrates 25 years of styling women for every occasion

Starting out with a name, a rented space and a single mannequin the ladies dress business she bought for £250 is now one of Harrogate’s best-loved boutiques – Snooty Frox.

This evolution turned a one-woman enterprise into a successful ladies’ department store – a contemporary emporium of fashion which has styled women for weddings, race days, garden parties and holidays of a lifetime.

Now it is getting set to celebrate its own big day, marking 25 years in style.

Snooty Frox is synonymous with making women feel special; from premium designer dresses for unique occasions to a holiday wardrobe to wow at the Captain’s table on a cruise, this luxury brand has specialised in empowering women to feel their very best.

We spoke to the legend behind the legacy, Hilary Haresign, to find out more about her remarkable journey and what makes her so passionate about what she does so well.

“We have dressed ladies for the races, weddings, bar mitzvahs, every wonderful occasion you can imagine,” says Hilary, who when she looks around her stunning boutique, cannot believe how far it has come.

Where it began

By chance Hilary stumbled on an opportunity to purchase a business that rented out evening wear dresses. Hilary thought it was a great idea and snapped up the chance to buy it.

“I actually paid £280 because I bought a mannequin as part of the deal,” she laughs. But it turned out renting out dresses wasn’t as good a venture as it seemed, selling them was better. Thanks to a request for a mother-of-the-bride outfit, the current business began to take shape.

As the business thrived and grew, Hilary needed more space for more stock, and so expanded. She ended up buying up every bit of space in the building until it became the Snooty Frox that it is today, the premium brand which puts people first.

What’s your favourite part of the business?

“Good staff,” says Hilary, whose dad once said to her the best business plan was to surround yourself with passionate people.

“All our staff care about our customers and want to make them feel fabulous, our staff really do go the extra mile. That’s the success of our business, we really care about our customers. Our customers are our best advert and many people visit the store based on their recommendations”.

What’s the most glamorous outfit you’ve sold?

“No single outfit, all our mothers-of-the-bride and mothers-of-the-groom are special to us, they are sharing this most special day with us and we want them to look and feel fantastic,” says Hilary. “Just today I saw a lady in a green outfit and she just looked wonderful. I said to her ‘you look beautiful in that’ and she burst into tears. That is how important this moment is to our customers and why we want them to leave us having had a wonderful time at Snooty Frox and feeling their absolute best.”

Join the celebrations

The anniversary is on May 31st. “We will have a celebratory shopping event the following week with a shopping weekend celebration in June with lots of exciting things happening at the boutique,” Hilary says.

Looking to the Future

In 2000 mother-of-the-bride or groom outfits were all about a little jacket and a fitted dress. “The colours were very conservative – navys, pinks, greys – it was a certain look,” says Hilary. Fast-forward 25 years and the women are much more fashion-conscious and more eclectic in their tastes. Whilst they still look for elegant or pretty outfits they have to have the “wow” factor.

“This is why our offer is so unique compared to the high street,” Hilary explains. “There is no colour that people won’t buy, sometimes they want soft and floaty, sometimes they go for a really bold print colour, sometimes it is soft pastels. Silhouettes of the dresses are much more modern, the cuts are sophisticated and interesting. As we look to the future we want to build on our

Occasion wear for every occasion. We have welcomed ladies from all over the world and dressed them for every occasion imaginable. We are The Dress Destination”.

Making every occasion special

Snooty Frox prides itself on offering something few other clothing shops offer – and that’s a personal service for its occasion wear. You’ll have the professional attention of your own stylist who has a wealth of knowledge in fashion and style. Hilary’s exacting standards and passion for perfection can be seen in all aspects of the boutique.

The business has two distinct sides, one is outfits for the mother of the bride or groom, and the other is a collection of more casual designer wear – think cruise ships, holiday outfits, summer parties or an evening out.

Snooty Frox is open Tuesdays to Saturdays 9.30am to 5pm and no appointment is necessary for the casualwear department. Appointments for occasion wear can be made online, where you can also browse some of the collections and order online.

Here you’ll find beautifully tailored collections from around 15-20 renowned Mother of the Bride or Groom designers including Veni Infantino, Rosa Clara and John Charles, in sizes six to 26. And with an in-house seamstress they can take care of any adjustments that need to be made to the tailoring.

Matching handbags, shoes and jewellery are also available and the boutique sells a carefully selected small range of gifts and premium home accessories too.

Snooty Frox gets five star reviews from its customers, who speak of it being a friendly and enjoyable experience, of patient and knowledgeable stylists and all are delighted to find the perfect outfit for them.

Jennifer Mcloughlin said: “Thank you for your patience and expertise in helping me find my MOTB dress, no pressure to buy on the day. Beautiful shop and privacy maintained at all times. Wish I’d gone to Snooty Frox first but it was worth the wait!!”. And Lisa Smallwood’s five star review was equally enthusiastic: “My afternoon appointment at Snooty Frox was a lovely experience. I was given great advice and made to feel at ease. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for mother of the bride outfits. They had a huge range and prices to suit most budgets.”

Shopping in style

Being just three minutes’ drive from The Stray, near the large Marks and Spencer, with its own small car park and free on street parking, Snooty Frox makes the perfect designerwear destination department store for Yorkshirewomen, who value both quality of product and service – as well as value for money!

Check out the store online and browse some of the collections. Keep checking online to see what events are coming up to mark 25 years and follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates and inspiration.