QUITMAN — Leanna Pledger recently opened a new business downtown to focus on being a one-stop shop for clothing.

The store, Fine & Dandy, carries clothing for women in sizes ranging from small to 3X curvy, and clothing for boys and girls from newborn to youth large.

Pledger wanted the store to be a place where women could come in and shop for themselves and for their children, she said.

Pledger describes her clothing as “modern, but with a vintage feel,” she said.

For the clothing, Pledger goes to the market in Atlanta before the next clothing season begins, she said. While at the market, Pledger picks out her entire clothing line-up for the next three months.

Once she has her line-up for the next season decided, she receives her order during the next few months as inventory fluctuates, she said.

When picking out her clothing, Pledger aims to have a full line of trendy clothing for women to choose from, but stressed she keeps her clothing options modest. She said she strives to keep her clothing at a good price point, so it can be competitive with the Valdosta and Thomasville markets.

Fine & Dandy carries brands such as Mudpie, Properly Tied and Bailey Boys.

Along with the clothing, Pledger carries home decor.

She carries Lenox China, wreaths, jars, jugs, topiaries, some furniture, paintings and other items with a country feel to them.

While the clothing is a way to enrich Downtown Quitman, the home decor is more of a passion for Pledger, she said.

And while she does sell the items, she is more than willing to help customers design and decorate, she said.

With a scheduled appointment, Pledger will load up her vehicle with different ideas and items and help a customer redesign a room or a house, she said.

First, she gets an idea of what the customer wants, then brings enough items to try a few different themes and see what the customer likes.  

Turning a passion into a business can be fun and difficult but Pledger is up to the challenge.

“Custom Home Decor is something I’m passionate about,” she said. “I’ll build on my experiences and my decorations to complement their wants and thoughts to create a breath of fresh air.”  

Fine & Dandy is a change of pace for Pledger, she said. Prior to opening her new business, she was selling insurance to make a living. 

She decided to open the new store to find a way to complement downtown and help drive new traffic to the area, and to pursue her passions. 

Since opening, Pledger has learned while she may be passionate about home decor and have an eye for trendy, modest clothing, customers may not want to buy things that she likes, she said. 

“It’s an opportunity for me to learn,” Pledger said.

While owning a boutique that specializes in clothing and home decor is a far cry from selling insurance, Pledger said there is a connection between the two differing roles. 

Selling insurance is selling a product to customers who need it, but don’t want to buy it, she said. Pledger found it was more of selling herself, or the image of herself, to customers to get them to buy insurance. 

Now, she is selling a product people want, but is investing herself and a part of her is in each item, she said. 

“People want what I have,” she said. “I still get the opportunity to sell me, but it’s different,” she said. 

Fine & Dandy is located at 101 E. Screven St. and is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (229) 563-7676 or find Fine & Dandy Marketplace on Facebook. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.