New shop is dressing to impress top award judges

Two years after launching The Dressworx as an online company, owner Pauline Devine, has opened her first store in the town’s York Road.

Adding to the glamour of the gorgeous gowns, were three beauty queens, Miss Tees Valley 2016, Ellie Jay Tyers, Miss Teen British Isles, Sommer Goldsbrough, and Miss North Yorkshire 2016, Emily Austin, were invited along to perform the official opening.

The Dressworx, which is a designer prom and evening wear business, is already in the running for an award.

Owner, Pauline Devine, said: “I originally started working from home to test the market and after a great two years we finally opened our first store.”

And, the new store has been shortlisted alongside four other UK dress stores, to win the Best Dress Shop award by Natural Sparkle magazine, a national fashion and beauty magazine.

Pauline, 52, from Bishop Cuthbert, said: “It was such a shock and honour to be nominated in the top five dress stores in the UK by the magazine.

“We were the only store in the North-East to make the top five.”

Despite having just opened their shop Pauline says expansion is already on the horizon.

She said: “We started with just prom and evening wear but we have a new bridal area opening at the end of the year too.

“We’ve had great feedback from our customers, everyone has been really happy that a shop like ours has opened in Hartlepool.”

Pauline’s aim is to bring top dress designers to the town and the store imports gowns from the United States from designers including Macduggal Couture and Rachel Allan, as well as stocking UK-based designers, Pia Michi and Gino Cerruti, London.

The winner of the Best Dress Shop award of will announced on December 3.