Times may be hard, but that doesn’t mean women don’t want to look their best and boutique owner Terry Smith helps them do just that.His Court Street boutique, Clara Bows, specialises in finding the perfect outfit for any occasion.The timing of the store’s launch in May 2009 clashed with an outbreak of gun crime in north Hamilton. Coupled with the decline in the economy, that could have spelled disaster.But Mr Smith adapted to circumstances and now has a loyal clientele of all ages who go to him for his personal touch and style.“There was a shooting soon after we opened and the road was blocked off. People didn’t come out that weekend so I had a 50 percent off sale the next weekend and that helped to make things up,” explained Mr Smith.He knows what women of all generations like to wear thanks to his background in running the Miss Teen Bermuda and Big and Beautiful pageants. He also offers a full range of sizes and accessories, and brings in just a small number of items from the New York fashion district so there is no chance of bumping into someone with the same outfit.“I get to know them personally,” he said of his customers. “I can pretty much style them in their look and also encourage them to try something new.”On the afternoon The Royal Gazette dropped by, he showed one bride-to-be a gold dress he’s ordered in specially for her, and also helped a middle-aged man pick out a new outfit for the woman in his life.Mr Smith also offers convenient shopping hours to catch the height of the passing trade and an intimate environment with trinkets, mirrors and pretty pastel paintwork adorning the store.“There’s quite a few nice restaurants around here, people are passing by and they’re doing the clubs for the night. I also have a lot of people that come in for office wear and evening wear,” he explained.However, he said being a successful entrepreneur is far from easy in the current economic climate.“I’m very pleased with the store but it is a lot of hard work and sacrifice,” he said. “People think owning your own store is glamorous, but there’s a lot more to it than that.”Clara-Bows is open Monday to Thursday from 12pm to 8pm and Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 10pm.