This new St. George shop is lifting more than spirits

Written by Jessi Bang
April 24, 2024

ST. GEORGE — A new women’s specialty store just opened in the city, and it’s supportive in more ways than one. 

Lace by Louise owner Louise Stucki smiles for the camera inside her first Southern Utah store in St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Lace by Louise owner Louise Stucki smiles for the camera inside her first Southern Utah store, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“It’s been amazing,” Lace by Louise owner Louise Stucki said. “Those that just walk by and see the posters in the window come in and will say, ‘It’s about time St. George got something like this.’”

Shoppers can browse through bras, swimsuits, lingerie, slips, shapewear and a variety of sleepwear from elegant robes to nightgowns for mature women. But rest assured, you won’t be left to navigate things alone.

At Lace by Louise, staff spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour with each customer, ensuring they are measured correctly. Stucki said education is key, and customers will learn about bra varieties and sizing variations to ensure they walk out with something they love. That education also includes learning how to care for items properly and when to know one is worn out.

While other big-box stores size women according to their own brand’s bra line, Stucki sizes women to match bra sizes across the nation and even the world. And they stand by their measurements. Don’t love it? Exchange it.

The new women's store Lace by Louise offers a variety of women's undergarments and sizing along with custom bra fittings, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
The new women’s store Lace by Louise offers a variety of women’s undergarments and sizing along with custom bra fittings, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

The struggle is over for women with “specialty” or hard-to-find sizes. Sizing begins at AA and goes to M, while band sizes start at 28 inches and go up to 48. Sizes up to 56 inches can easily be ordered.

Stucki said they love getting to know their customers. Each customer will receive a special profile where their information will be stored, and a “wish list” can also be created with items a customer plans to buy later so they never have to start over.

How it all began

In the early ’90s, Stucki’s grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. In a time when mastectomies and prostheses were newer territory, Stucki said she did her best to try and navigate it all with her. When she began doing research, she realized women needed help with not just prostheses but bras, too.

She quickly learned that wearing the wrong size bra was far too common and wanted to start something that would help women through every stage of life.

She came up with the name L.A.C.E – originally an acronym for Lingerie After Change Exists. She has since dropped the periods but kept the name.

“My goal was to help women through every change in life, from a little girl’s very first bra to teenagers to being pregnant to nursing — older women, all of it,” she said.

The new women’s store Lace by Louise offers a variety of women’s undergarments and sizing, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

She went all in, enrolling in small business courses. There, she learned how to create a comprehensive business proposal. After presenting it to the bank, she was funded for a business loan. In 1997, she opened the doors of her first store in Bountiful. After she made several appearances on TV, her business rapidly grew. With each purchase, she tracked where her customers were coming from and noticed an influx in residents from further south. That led to opening her second location in Riverton in 2007. 

It’s been 27 years since the first Lace by Louise opened its doors. As 2024 kicked off, Stucki found herself amid a stressful life change. Taking it as a sign to retire, she made plans to back away from the business she had built from the ground up. But life had other plans.

“I had women stop by my store and leave me notes,” she said. “Women were traveling from St. George to my Riverton location. Women were telling me what they wanted and I decided to do that.”

While in St. George, she leisurely scouted for a suitable store location. Serendipity struck when she chanced upon a vacant space at the Shoppes at Zion. Despite the absence of a rental sign, she contacted her realtor. To her surprise, she learned that the space had been listed for rent just the day before.

She was able to lease the space and find a home. Stucki said things lined up and worked out exactly as they were supposed to. She spent the last three months remodeling the store before opening its doors to the public three weeks ago.

The new women's store Lace by Louise offers a variety of women's undergarments and sizing, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
The new women’s store Lace by Louise offers a variety of women’s undergarments and sizing, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“It’s just been a real love to work with women,” she said. “If a woman’s self-confidence is up where it needs to be, she can succeed at anything. And it’s amazing how much that self-confidence is built on the proper foundation.”

Stucki’s northern Utah stores have been nominated for Best of State and won. Lace by Louise has also won Best of Salt Lake twice and was nominated again this year. She eagerly awaits news on whether the store will clinch yet another prestigious award.

“I really believe in honesty and teaching,” she said. “And if you do those two things, you’re going to get repeat customers.”

The staff are delighted to assist men in selecting gift items or certificates. Additionally, couples are welcome to utilize the dressing rooms together for women who feel more comfortable having their significant other present during a fitting. For customers who go through a custom fitting and choose not to purchase a bra, Lace By Louise charges a $10 fitting fee. 

Lace by Louise is located at 50 N. Red Cliffs Drive #7 in St. George, inside the Shoppes at Zion shopping center. Join the official grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration on Friday, April 26, at 10 am. A grand opening store-wide sale will take place Friday and Saturday.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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