Making SKIRT an uptown staple

Much of Uptown Waterloo’s allure is thanks to the multitude of boutiques and unique shops that the King Street strip, running from William Street all the way to University Avenue, has to offer. One of the newest and most promising of these shops is SKIRT, a women’s clothing store that can be found directly across the street from Waterloo Town Square.

SKIRT is a quirky spot that offers local women the opportunity to experience clothes and jewellery on a more personal level, providing fashionable pieces that are unlike things seen in the collections of major retailers and large chain stores found in malls.

Manager Emily Kirsch describes the style of clothing found in SKIRT as being “very young and feminine, with a lot of prints and florals.”

She told The Cord that SKIRT thrives on being current and much of their inventory is modern and on the cusp of what is popular in the fashion world at large.

Kirsch has been exceptionally pleased with the reception SKIRT has garnered from local fashion junkies and said that she “sees girls walking around with our bags all the time and I find that no matter where I go I see someone wearing something that came from my store.”

Despite being well received there was concern over how the store would fare with similar stores — such as Andie’s and Gloss — in such close proximity. Luckily, Kirsch explained, “All the stores are a little bit different and as much as there is a bunch of us I don’t think any of us really overlap too much.”

In fact, Kirsch attributes much of SKIRT’s success to the other exclusively women’s shops in Waterloo. She said, “Every store seems to have its own style going on and more than compete with each other we really help each other to draw people to Uptown Waterloo as a shopping destination.”

After just recently celebrating its year anniversary on King Street, SKIRT appears to have found its fashion niche in Waterloo and seems to be holding its own.

According to their Facebook fan page other SKIRT stores can be found in London and Peterborough as well as two seasonal posts in Muskoka and Port Carling. In addition, a third seasonal store can be expected in Grand Bend.

SKIRT is located at 44 King St. South in Waterloo and provides extended hours to accommodate the needs of its clientele. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.