Zest (Photo by Jay Paul)
Co-owners of 29 Lou Lou accessories locations and three Crème de la Crème home décor shops across the East Coast, husband-and-wife team Ben and Tara Wegdam are bringing a new concept, Zest Clothing & Co., to Carytown.
The women’s boutique opened in late November at 3140-A W. Cary St. in the Cary Court Park & Shop center. It is the third store for the Wegdams in that shopping center; a Lou Lou opened there in 2014, and a Crème de la Crème debuted in 2015.
“We just felt it’s a good spot to create a retail environment [and] … to be part of the community and run in an independent format,” Ben Wegdam says.
Zest (804-326-5916 or zestclothingandco.com) features on-trend fashions that offer a modern yet timeless look. Pieces can be dressed up or down with layering potential and splashes of color and patterns thrown in.
“Most of the apparel has a simple elegance with fun fashion and designer lines,” says Sarah Koski, the store’s manager.
Ensembles are all limited runs from brands including Free People, Splendid and Tribal. Sizes range from XS to XL, and the target demographic is ages 25 to 50. Prices run from $60 to $75 for most pieces. “It’s all about bringing a low price for the quality that you buy,” Wegdam says.
The Wegdams, who live in Middleburg, opened their first Crème de la Crème there in 2001, followed by the first Lou Lou in 2004. Koski says Zest will add a few accessories to its stock as the store is established. She notes that Lou Lou is mere steps away from Zest for accessorizing needs.
There are no plans to open another Zest store at this time, but Wegdam isn’t ruling it out. “If it goes well and if the community reacts to it, then we’d love to look [at the possibility],” he says. “Let’s see what happens in Carytown first and see how it is received, and then we’ll go from there.”
