Dressing the Part

PROVO, Utah – Jun 05, 2014 – Brigham Young University MISM student Jeremy Penrod says that if you’d asked him as a child what he wanted to be when he grew up, he might have picked dentist or inventor. Of all the possible answers he could have given, Penrod’s certain about at least one thing — he never imagined a career selling dresses.

“Would I ever have thought I’d be selling dresses for a living? Not in a million years,” Penrod says laughing. “But I really enjoy using web technologies and information systems to solve problems, and online search for apparel leaves a lot to be desired.”

Penrod’s startup, TheDressSpot.com, is an innovative and easy way to find dresses. The site aggregates product listings for thousands of dresses from across the Internet and allows users to filter those listings according to colors, hues, sleeve lengths, skirt styles, brands and stores.  When users click on a dress that they like, they’re redirected to an online retailer’s product page, and TheDressSpot.com is credited for a percentage of the sales made.

The venture, now entering its second year, stemmed from a bad experience Penrod’s wife had while she was looking for bridesmaid dresses. Though she initially wanted a slate blue and coral themed wedding, she settled for pink and blue since she couldn’t find similar dresses in the range of sizes — petite to maternity — she needed for her bridesmaids. The experience left her in tears.

“I was shocked she couldn’t find what she was looking for with all the options available online,” Penrod says. “We did some research and discovered that online sales of bridesmaid dresses alone were a half-billion dollar market. We decided we had a shot at a successful business if we could become the tool to help people find these dresses.”

The hunch was right. Thousands of visitors use the site each month, and customers love the service. BYU student Sarah Kellar says the site has been a godsend in helping to outfit her ten bridesmaids.

“I wanted to give my bridesmaids options, but it was really hard for them to interpret the color coral. Now I can give them a color splotch online and know that they’ll be able to pick a good dress, and the price range slider keeps things appropriate for their budget,” Kellar says. “TheDressSpot.com is a very customizable yet straightforward way to find exactly what you’re looking for.”

Online retailers are also noticing the search engine. In its first few months of operation, TheDressSpot.com had a catalog of nearly six thousand dresses from a small group of online retailers. The company now pulls product listings for more than 25,000 dresses, and its group of retailers has grown to include Macy’s, Nordstrom and Dillard’s.

To keep up with all the business, TheDressSpot.com now employs several BYU students. Craig Nordstrom, who served as best man at Penrod’s wedding, manages operations as a full-time partner. Michelle Drennan is the content marketing lead, and Sarah Shepherd is head of the company’s public relations. Several writers and interns round out the team.

The passionate group has set ambitious goals for expansion. The company’s iPhone app is expected to launch early this year, and there are plans to expand the scope of product listings to include formal dresses. Penrod is as enthusiastic a dress salesman as ever.  

“We're evolving the user experience, creating something more powerful than consumers have enjoyed before,” Penrod says. “We're excited about our next steps.”