Fuller figured women looking for elegant clothing and fine jewellery now have a one-stop shop to fill all their needs with the opening of Fine Things Limited in Hamilton.

Nicole Smith originally wanted to open a store offering jewellery but to increase her customer base she decided to offer a line of clothing and accessories for the fuller figured woman.

Fine Things opened last month at 19 Queen Street, opposite Crisson?s, and Ms Smith has built up relationships with overseas vendors to introduce eye catching designs for her clientele.

?I think many fuller figured stores just cover the basics but I wanted to find a new line that is more feminine,? Ms Smith said.

?We have the Kyonna line because it is very trendy and portrays elegance from the wrap dresses and lace tops (to) lingerie.?

?We offer a total package so once women (explore) our line of clothes, they can also dress it up with nice jewellery as well.?

The store carries sterling silver jewellery from Thomas Sabo as well as a designer line from Robert Lee Morris, whose stunning jewellery was seen on display at the 2005 Emmy Awards.

Apart from apparel and jewellery, the store also carries a small selection of hand-made candles made by Debbie DeSilva at the Bermuda Candle Company.

A former employee of Trimingham?s, Ms Smith said Fine Things tries to offer a select number of items so the customer can choose from a variety of unique styles.

Leslie Swan, a former divisional store manager at Trimingham?s, acts as the store?s merchandise manager and Ms Smith?s mother and business partner, Carol Bean, assists in managing the store.

Sharita Cooper is the clothing buyer and Alison Raynard is the gemologist.

?There is a need for Bermudians to be able to shop in Bermuda and not overseas,? Ms Smith said. ?With the right mix I felt it was viable to open up a store.

?We are not a large department store but a boutique and the concept works because you can outfit yourself from head to toe.?

Fuller figured women are looking for options and Ms Smith hopes Fine Things will not disappoint.

?One of our vendors, Rebecca Bruce, originally did not design for the fuller figured woman but has exclusively designed a fuller figure line for us and it has been going well because it flows very well with nice material,? she said.

It did not take long for this fashion-savvy entrepreneur to find her footing after the closure of Trimingham?s in July.

Ms Smith regards Fine Things as a family business and works closely with her mother, who provides support and guidance as a former Bank of Bermuda employee with 30 years experience.

And Ms Smith said Trimingham?s president Lawrence Trimingham was highly supportive and encouraging of her desire to launch a new store.

?I love fashion and jewellery and the challenge is to make a new idea work and being able to hire the staff to offer the best customer service,? she said.