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If you've all-but wrapped up Animal Crossing New Horizons and its Happy Home Paradise DLC, you've still got one more job. Once you've completed a mammoth 30 vacation homes and celebrated with the team, you can talk to Lottie to unlock and build the apparel shop. If you've ever designed an entire boutique from scratch, this should be a cinch, but just in case you haven't, here are a few tips to get you started, as well as some inspiration to help you bring your store to life.
Pick your style
When you're setting up your apparel store for the first time, you'll have to choose the style of the clothes you'll be selling, whether they're showy or simple, cute or cool. The style you decide on will affect what type of apparel appears in your shop, with six items appearing each day, so make sure you pick something that'll help you build your ideal look.
Embrace your vibe
Once you've picked a style, why not let that shape the mood of your store? While the Able Sisters seem to be aiming for a somewhat homely approach, you can design your apparel store however you like. Embrace your style, whether that's a bright pink shop filled with the cutest clothes you can find or something just a little more edgy that embraces your pop-punk past.
Don't forget to decorate
You'll need to stock your shop with plenty of things for your customers to buy, but you'll also want to transform the apparel store into a must-visit destination of its own, so get decorating. Saharah's co-op is a great place to start if you're looking for rugs, flooring, and wallpaper (even if you don't already have an impressive collection) from her visits to your island, but you can also design your own to capture your unique tastes.
Develop your style with the pattern editor
While you're creating your own decorations, you can also use the pattern editor to borrow your favourite real-life styles. Whether you're using the tool to design the next Fashion Week must-have, or uploading actual fashion posters to advertise your wares around your store, New Horizon's versatile editor is perfect for helping beautify your shop.
Customize your changing rooms
No clothes shop would be complete without a changing room, so be sure to give your customers plenty of room to change. No matter your style, they're sure to fit in with your shop thanks to 64 different colour combinations, with eight different colours available and a customisable curtain too.
Make the most of your Mannequins
No apparel store is complete without a way to display its wares, so take advantage of items like the customisable Dress Mannequin or simply display your custom patterns to show your clothes off at their very best.
Fill your space
You've got an entire store to play with, so make sure you use all the space. Don't overdo it though - there's a finite amount of room for items in your shop, so make sure you pay attention to what you want and where you want it before you hit the limit.
Show off your wares
Between Nook's Cranny and the Paradise Planning office, there are plenty of ways to show off the items in your store no matter what you're selling. From jewellery displayed in the Glass Showcase to Stylish Spotlights that highlight that truly must-have piece to shelves that line your store, you can put your own spin on your favourite goods.
Create unique sections
With so many different ways to display your goods, you can also divide your store into sections dedicated to specific types of item with the partition walls. Unlocked by talking to Niko in the Happy Home expansion, these walls let you split up certain parts of your building, and they also work in the apparel store. Once you've picked out the perfect outfit, create a footwear or accessories section to really complete the look.
Assign the perfect salesperson
What's a store without staff to help you find the perfect fit? Once you've perfected your apparel shop, you can choose one of your villagers to act as its manager. Make sure you're happy with your choice though - a lazy villager might shirk on their duties, while a cranky one might not get on with the customers. If you've got him, Raymond might be an excellent choice - he might be smug, but you can't say he doesn't have great taste in clothes.
