Passion for fashion: Jachelle’s celebrates 40 years selling women’s clothing | News

Jachelle’s came to life shortly after Michelle Hardy graduated high school in 1982, where they first opened the store in Atlantic, Iowa.

Both women having a “passion for fashion,” they came up with the name “Jachelle’s” by combining their names together. Ten years after their first store, they opened a second one in Carroll.

When Hardy started having children, she operated their store in Carroll while Larsen focused on the one in Atlantic. After a number of years, the two sold their Atlantic store to one of their employees. 

“Carroll is very supportive,” Hardy said. “We’ve acquired over the years some really, really close friendships with our customers.”

Having a business in a smaller town like Carroll, Hardy said it’s important for them to have strong customer service for their patrons so they can continue shopping locally. 

“I say we pride ourselves most, No. 1, is customer service, because you do not get great customer service in a lot of places anymore,” Hardy said. “We want women to leave here looking their very best and getting a lot of compliments.”

Hardy said the clothing selection they put in their store often reflects both of their personalities. When filling their inventory, both women said they try to buy clothing they love themselves. 

“It’s hard to sell something that you don’t like yourself,” Larsen said. 

Knowing how shopping can be difficult for some women, Hardy said they try to make the process easier for anyone who comes into their store.

“Some women don’t like to shop, they come in and they’re like, ‘I need something for a wedding or I need a few outfits for vacation,’” Hardy said. “They want [us] to help them out. . . .they kind of leave that up to us, which we love to do.”

Working with her daughter, Larsen said it’s important to be compatible with the people they work with.

Even though Hardy said their personalities are different, she works very well with her mother, with the two balancing different responsibilities for Jachelle’s, such as Larsen focusing on bookkeeping while Hardy works more with merchandising.

“If you like what you do, you don’t go to work,” Hardy said. “I look forward to coming to work every day.”

Now that they have four decades of selling clothing behind them, Hardy said she hopes new customers will have a positive experience looking through their clothing selection. 

“I hope when they come in here, we always greet them with the true friendliness and warmth that they deserve,” Hardy said. “If they have any questions or need help with anything, we want them to leave super happy and come back again.”