An atmosphere of friendly camaraderie prevails at the shop of Anita Pagliaro. who (assisted by her sister Lisa) runs a vest-pocket couture house on New York’s Lexington Avenue. Arlene Andrews, a novelist, explains Pagliaro’s appeal: “People have had it with the kind of places where they’re expected to look just like the skinny, bird-legged salespeople. Anita and Lisa are gorgeous, but their place is nor intimidating.” Pagliaro, began her business 10 years ago, having become disenchanted with the world of retail (she worked for more than a decade as a buyer in two New York department stores). “Everything was done by computer or report,” she says. “All the ftm, the hands—on, working directly with the customer, was gone.” When she struck out on her own, Paghiaro felt it was most important to collaborate closely with her clientele, and to have her atelier be part of a neighborhood. The result couldn’t be more personal. Her tiny storefront fills up quickly and waiting clients sit around, chatting.

Pagliaro’s specialty is nontraditional wedding dresses and classic, feminine evening clothes that average $1,000. “The integrity of the product is extremely high,” says Andrews. “I was at a wedding in St. James’s Palace wearing an Anita Pagliaro when someone came up to me and asked me if I was wearing one of my mother’s Balenciagas. Anita and Lisa have a great eye. They know when just enough lace is enough. I’ll zip in for lunch and they’ll say, ‘Try this on.’ I’ll think that I have just as much a chance of becoming a woman astronaut as of looking good in that dress, but they’ll be right.”