Local LuLaRoe consultants feed clothing craze

Carly, Amelia, Lola and Julia — if these are just women’s names to you, then you’ve somehow escaped the LuLaRoe clothing craze.

In Centre County, that’s become increasingly difficult. Even if you’ve never been to a pop-up party or joined an independent fashion retailer’s Facebook group, chances are you’ve seen people wearing the brightly-colored leggings or pattered print dresses, skirts or shirts, all named after the company founder’s family members. The items are not available in stores, instead customers browse and purchase through a retailer — also called a consultant — who has purchased the clothing wholesale from LuLaRoe.

That’s one of the best parts of LuLaRoe, said Lindsay Keegan, a State College retailer who has been selling the clothes for a little more than a year. She interacts with customers through her VIP Facebook group, offering styling suggestions, answering questions on inventory and hosting Facebook live sessions where she shows off her latest LuLaRoe.

“The difference between this and going to Target or Gap or something is that I get to know the customers,” she said. “When you go to buy something, you feel like, ‘I’m shopping with my friends.’ ”

With the popularity of LuLaRoe clothing booming, the company has generated $1 billion in sales over the past four years and recently partnered with the Walt Disney Company on a collection. Consultants nationally are also on the rise — Keegan said there were 30,000 when she started, compared to about 100,000 now — but Keegan said turnover tends to be high.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “To create a community, you have to maintain, you have to engage.”

A mother of two, Keegan decided not to go back to teaching after her daughter was born about two years ago. But she was looking for something fulfilling she could do from home, and a way to earn extra money for her family. LuLaRoe has accomplished that, said Keegan, who jumped into the business after attending a friend’s pop-up party.

“Financially it’s been amazing, but it’s so much more than that,” she said.

The ability to work from home was also the appeal for Bellefonte consultant Tiffani Doane, who signed on to sell the clothing in January.

“It’s fun to do and I’ve enjoyed doing it,” Doane said. “I can stay at home and hang out with my kids and have flexibility. ... It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it.”

Joining the LuLaRoe movement as an independent fashion retailer requires an investment upfront to purchase inventory. From that point, retailers can choose the scope of their business, replenishing their stock at whatever pace they choose. Keegan currently has about 3,000 pieces, and said she likes to keep 15-25 pieces of each size in each style on hand. Doane estimates having 1,000 pieces, and prefers to keep small quantities of a large variety of items.

When it’s time to reorder, consultants tell LuLaRoe the sizes and styles they want, but the prints that arrive are always a surprise. There’s bold stripes, floral designs, geometric shapes and every color of the rainbow.

“I got involved with the brand first as a rabid consumer,” State College consultant Amy Vashaw said in an email. “From the moment I was introduced to it, I loved it.”

For Bellefonte consultant Erin Lea, LuLaRoe is a family affair. She’s been selling the clothing with her husband for the past eight months. Her daughters, who have sensory processing issues, love the signature leggings, which Lea said live up to their company description as “buttery soft.”

“When we realized the difference just a simple pair of leggings made in lives of our children we knew this was something special,” Lea said in an email. “I then began trying their dresses, tops and skirts (and) I was amazed at the quality of the clothes, how beautiful I felt, the boost in my own confidence levels — being a plus-size woman I truly hadn’t felt that way in a long time.”

Depending on the consultant, customers can shop online or in person at the retailer’s home. Consultants can also bring their inventory to a customer’s home for LuLaRoe pop-up parties.

“My favorite thing about being a consultant is connecting women to these clothes and seeing them see themselves as beautiful,” Vashaw said. “I have a client who hadn’t shopped in 20 years because she found it to be depressing. Showing her how amazing she can look and feel in clothes that bring out her inner smile is the best feeling ever.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 8:14 AM with the headline "Local LuLaRoe consultants feed clothing craze."