A mother and daughter team of entrepreneurs has launched a new shop in North Wales specialising in plus size prom dresses.
Wendy Thompson and daughter Robyn, from Ruthin in Denbighshire, came up with the idea after spotting a gap in the market for glamorous gowns made for fuller figured girls.
Ffansi Ffrogs made a splash last year when the pair opened their first store in Clwyd Street selling conventionally sized dresses to cater for the growing demand among 16-year-old girls celebrating the end of Year 11 GCSE exams.
The venture has proved so successful that in their first year they exceeded expectations – with the outfits they stock ranging from £205 to £575 in price.
Sales are already well ahead of this time last year but Wendy and Robyn realised there was a real need for plus size dresses for curvier girls “wanting to look sensational” in a fancy outfit at their prom nights.
As a result, they now have two shops across the road from each other, with the original business moving to larger premises and the new boutique being located in the first store.
The prom tradition originated in America where the semi-formal promenade dance is a rite of passage for students in their last year of high school.
It’s now so popular in the UK that 85 per cent of schools here hold one to mark the end of the GCSE year.
Robyn, a sixth form student at Ysgol Brynhyfryd in the town, was the inspiration for the venture which is already attracting plenty of attention.
Robyn said:
“When I was in Year 11 in 2023 we had to go to Liverpool to find me a prom dress and even that was in a bridal shop where I didn’t really feel like I belonged and felt like I less important than their bridal selection.
“So we just wanted to make this a special experience for girls with a variety of dresses in different styles which are designed specifically as prom dresses and just for girls of my age.
“The new shop aims to do the same for plus-size girls because it’s important for them to have the same experience as everyone else and we can stock so many different styles as well.
“It’s already all systems go because the girls tend to choose the dresses way before their exams and they pick them up anytime between now and May.
“But generally the plus size girls think about prom later than the conventional size girls because they aren’t anticipating a good experience and are pushing it to the back of their mind for as long as they can. Our aim is to make a totally positive experience for them.”
Ffansi Ffrogs is by appointment only and they encourage parents or grandparents to share the experience and provide them somewhere comfortable to sit along with tea or coffee and chocolates.
Wendy said:
“For a plus size girl it’s no good showing them a size eight dress they might love but not be able to try – they want to see how they look in a dress that’s their size and that is what the new shop will allow them to do.
“It will stock from size 18 up to size 30 and will have a variety of styles to choose from and so they can try everything there and see how it looks.
“One of our plus size girls told us, ‘Why shouldn’t girls my size realise they can look beautiful’, – that’s because the message they’ve had from society is that you need to be skinny to look good.
“I didn’t come into this from a fashion background so it was new to us and when we launched Ffansi Ffrogs we didn’t know if anyone was going to walk through the door, whatever size they were.
“We were told by experts to concentrate on the smaller sizes and just have four or five dresses which are designed to flatter the fuller figure.
“But we realised plus size girls weren’t getting the same experience as everyone else and we want to change that with our new bespoke boutique.
“Size should not be a barrier to a memorable prom experience – every girl regardless of her size deserves to look and feel amazing at their prom.
“Just like the original shop, the dresses are designed for Prom and Year 11 girls and even if they’re a bit apprehensive and uncomfortable when they come in for their appointment they will soon get into the experience and realise it isn’t a scary thing.
“Our appointments are 90 minutes long because this is something that has to be right and if it takes more than one appointment to find the right dress then that’s fine.”
Wendy previously ran a children’s play centre in Wigan. Before that she had been a primary school teacher and a corporate lawyer.
She added:
“I opened the prom shop because there wasn’t one in this area but I was amazed to find that I was getting customers from all over North Wales and even from further afield.
“I also wanted Robyn to have experience of what setting up and running a business entails and understand the challenges.
“We operate by appointment only because it detracts from the special experience if other people are just browsing and it works because we have already over 10 times as many dresses for Prom 2025 as we had at this time last year.
“We are definitely bringing people to Ruthin who wouldn’t normally come here and encouraging them to explore the excellent shops and cafes in our beautiful town.”
