By Rebecca Cross
If you are looking for a women’s fashion store that gives custom and personalized service – JoVon Fashions downtown Elizabeth City is just for you. Business owner Ann Taylor gets to know her customers and their tastes, and soon considers them her friends, as she offers each one personalized service. “I enjoy making women look great!” she said. Ann works hard to show women how to minimize weaknesses and emphasize their strengths to look their best. Her store offers unique “one-of-a-kind” clothing ranging from business and summer sports wear to church and formal evening attire. She also offers hats, bags, accessories and prom gowns. She caters to the full figured woman offering sizes ranging from 0 to 38W.
Ann said that she would be doing women an injustice to sell less than quality clothing. “My mother taught me that you buy one good piece that will last.” Family is important to Ann, and, family strongly influenced her decision to go into fashion sales. Coming from a family of 13 brothers and sisters, Ann had to wear a lot of “hand-me-downs” while growing up as a child. She decided back then that when she got older she would get all of the clothes that she wanted. She did eventually start buying wholesale clothing for herself, and others would comment on how they liked her clothes, and often asked where she got them. Ann started picking up clothes for her friends until it became clear that she could make some money running a personalized clothing business. She opened up Vaughn Taylor shop in Elizabeth City with her sister in 1979 downtown, moved the store to Southgate Mall in 1980 and then relocated and opened JoVon Fashions on E. Fearing Street where she still remains today. Ann also opened up a shop in Edenton in 1992. “My passion for fashion became JoVon!”
Originally reared in Hertford, NC, Ann spent 27 years in New York before she moved to South Mills, NC. She wanted to raise her son here and thought that Elizabeth City was a nice progressive city to open her shop. When asked about what she likes about being downtown Ann mentioned the atmosphere with the friendly people, the waterfront and the serene feeling. “I just like being downtown and I’m happy about it”, she said. Ann is very involved in her community - from teaching Bible classes to her friends, to sitting on the Board of a homeless shelter for women and children and having a home for underprivileged men. It is evident that Ann cares about people, and after 31 years in the clothing business, she has developed a great rapport with everyone who walks through her door.
Hours: Monday – Friday 9:30AM to 5:30PM (July and August Closing at 2:00PM on Fridays), Saturday 10AM to 2PM. 513 E. Fearing Street, 252-335-1382