Whitney Titheridge & Crabapple Clothing Company
CRABAPPLE CLOTHING
Whitney Titheridge is currently business owner of Crabapple Clothing Company - a Calgary-based high-fashion clothing boutique that has been around for over 30 years. Whitney started working at the company at 16 - as soon as she got her driver’s license. Along with the changes in the business, she has also grown and evolved as an employee, a business partner, and then, later on, a sole business owner.
Whitney and her dog - Photo courtesy of Whitney
CRABAPPLE CLOTHING COMPANY
Crabapple Clothing Company first opened its doors in 1990 by Katja Yrjana Kohlhammer on 14th street. Originally, the store carried Victorian-style women’s and children’s wear with bold colours, strong floral patterns and bohemian flair, reflecting Calgary’s 90’s fashion. As production slowed down, Kat started buying ready-to-wear items for the store and focused more on alterations and some wedding and grad dresses. During this time, she also moved the store to the Marda Loop area. In 2002, it was relocated again to Garrison Gate, a couple of blocks towards Mount Royal University and in the following year, it was expanded to the other side - it’s where the store is today.
For the past 30 years, the store has gone through significant changes, moving away from Victorian styles into a modern, elegant high fashion. It no longer carries children’s wear, and this fall 2021 has marked the first season Crabapple “delves into some men’s wear” due to the demand from their customers.
Of all the changes that have happened, one thing that hasn’t changed is Crabapple’s customer service that is created by a team of “fantastic ladies” who know their clients by names, their families and where they are going on vacation.
“It’s really that community feel,” shared Whitney. “Some of the ladies, oh my goodness - they have been with the store longer than I have been. It’s very neat to see their talent and strength grow over the years.”
Crabapple Clothing Company has a team of diverse, fun and “fantastic ladies” who know their clients by names, their families and where they are going on vacation. - Photo courtesy of Whitney.
Since taking over the store in 2015, Whitney has continued to build and develop the brand towards an ultimate goal - Clothing For All Humans.
“As I continue to learn and grow as an entrepreneur and a human, I am trying to ensure that we are more inclusive and provide clothing for all humans. I want to make people feel comfortable and confident regardless of how one identifies. I want them to feel good leaving the store,” shared Whitney.
PIVOT DURING THE PANDEMIC
Like many small businesses, Crabapple Clothing Company has been impacted by the pandemic. Luckily, right before Covid-19 hit, Whitney and her team had started to build an e-commerce website, allowing them to move online quickly and keep their operation up and running the moment the government ordered everybody to stay home. In the first few months of the pandemic, Whitney and her team members drove around the city to deliver orders to clients by themselves. Not only that, they have also leveraged social media platforms to stay in touch with their clients by creating fun and engaging content. What Whitney has found is that the majority of her clients prefer an in-store shopping experience over surfing the web; however, many of them use the online store as a catalogue to see what is available and what they like before coming and trying it on in person.
If nothing else, one thing the pandemic has proved to us is the “community spirit is real and it’s alive.”
“Last Christmas was the first time that I truly felt like shop local was a thing. People were very conscientious about their dollars, where they were spending their money and how they could support small, independent businesses. People were really rallying and it was cool to see,” said Whitney.
FROM AN ATHLETE TO A BUSINESS OWNER
Besides being a business owner, Whitney is a long-distance runner and a competitive showjumper. The discipline and determination from being an athlete prepared her well to become an entrepreneur, making her transition from an employee to a business partner in 2010, and then a sole business owner in 2015 smoother.
Photo of Whitney as a long distance runner - Photo courtesy of Whitney.
“When I took over [the store], I had this crazy amount of confidence. I don’t know where it came from, but I think I’ve always been a very hard worker. Also, because of my athletic background, I believed I could overcome any obstacles by working hard. I may have also been a touch young and naïve.” said Whitney.
Running a business requires not only discipline, hard work, but also an open mind, or as Whitney said, “it’s all about perception”. She used the example of horses.
“If you feel like you’re pulling with two pounds, the horse might feel and react like it was ten pounds. It doesn’t matter what I think is two pounds. It only matters what the horse feels like.” Whitney always applies this lesson to her business, especially in customer services. “Always listen with an open mind, hear what people have to say and how they perceive the situation.”
Photo of Whitney as a showjumper - Photo courtesy of Whitney.
Regardless of how easy running a business looks to an outsider, behind closed doors, Whitney and her team have worked extremely hard, learning to communicate, trusting each other and delegating tasks.
“When I first took over, I wanted to get involved in absolutely everything. Being so young, I felt that I need to lead by example to connect with peers. It wasn’t my nature to delegate tasks. But gradually, I’ve started to evolve as a leader. I’ve learned to read people’s talents and skills, let them partake in more parts of the business and give them an opportunity to show me what they can bring to the table.”
And now, Whitney is confident to go away for ten days and even longer and her business is still running well.
Regardless of how easy running a business looks to an outsider, behind closed doors, Whitney and her team have worked extremely hard, learning to communicate, trusting each other and delegating tasks.
Photo: Whitney and her team - Photo courtesy of Whitney.
The slowing down of the business due to the pandemic in many ways has been a positive thing for a busy person like Whitney. It has given her time and “freedom to get back in touch with some of the things that [she] had potentially slacked upon”, such as taking some webinars and online courses, and applying for different government assistance, and “taking some more time for [herself].”
For those who want to run their own business, Whitney shared some of her lessons,
“Find mentors. Surround yourself with people that have been there, done that, but at the same time, don't be afraid of your own intuition. Sometimes you just have to leap. You can't wait for the right anything - the right timing, the right amount of money. Do whatever you need to do. And remember one thing: everything will actually be okay.”
Visit Crabapple Clothing’s website at https://www.crabappleclothing.com/ and follow them on Instagram at @crabappleclothing to see their latest collections.
