Boutiques are plentiful in Baton Rouge, but plus-size ones are a rarity.
April Perkins combined her passions for fashion, business and body acceptance to establish exactly that—a plus-size boutique called April Mae.
“It was a niche I saw,” Perkins tells 225 in a feature from the September issue. “It’s hard to find really fashionable plus-size clothes, and being a plus-size girl, I decided to fill that niche.”
By February 2014, her online-only boutique was up and running. Managing the business can be difficult at times, she says. But despite the challenges of spreading awareness about an online-only clothing store, she’s happy with the growth April Mae has had.
“It took a while, but now I’ve shipped as far as Michigan. And I don’t plan on stopping there,” Perkins says.
In addition to the online shop, she sells merchandise at pop-up events and festivals. She hopes to eventually open a brick-and-mortar shop in Baton Rouge and design her own brand of clothes and accessories to sell in other boutiques. She has already started working toward that goal, making April Mae T-shirts.
Perkins’ personal style transfers over to the merchandise she sells in April Mae, she says, describing it as “classic girly, but with an edge.” She likes to keep fun, bright items in stock, including peplum and bubble dresses, petal skirts, and fringed and studded tops. The clothes boast bright colors and eye-catching patterns.
The majority of the clothing at April Mae is casual, everyday wear, but Perkins emphasizes versatility in her wardrobe. But Perkins isn’t just trying to make a fashion statement through April Mae—she’s trying to create a sense of positive body image.
“The biggest problem is that a lot of women don’t know how to or are afraid to dress their bodies,” Perkins says. “I want my customers to see that fashion is fun. It’s fun to dress your body in clothes you love.”
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