HOLLYWOOD Babes is a glitzy, bling-filled women’s fashion boutique in Thorpe Bay.

Inspired by shiny, jewel encrusted American glamour, the shop stocks clothes, hats and accessories for women of all sizes.

Owner Michelle Jameson is as bright and sparkly a character as the items she stocks inside.

“I was doing bling before bling was fashionable,” she says. “My main aim is stock things that no one else has. If I know there is another shop doing something similar I am just not interested.”

The mum of two dipped her toe into the retail waters 21 years ago. The idea was born when she began making clothes and accessories for her daughter. She says: “I would make T-shirts and hair clips. I don’t know why I started as I wasn’t particularly crafty. But people kept stopping me and asking me about the things I had made.”

But her true inspiration came from the United States when a friend returned from holiday with a gift for her daughter.

Michelle says: “She brought back this hairclip and it looked so good. It was a real slice of American glamour, shiny with all these little charms on it.”

Michelle set about finding out who had made the piece. In the pre-internet age this involved many expensive phone calls.

But her perseverance paid off and when she found the lady who had made the hair clip it created a lifelong obsession with Americana. Michelle says: “She was so chuffed that I liked the hair clip. Her company supplied all this amazing over-the-top stuff for beauty queens and pageants. “I thought if I was to start a business this would be unique to me because it was so different.”

Hollywood Babes first opened as a concession in a bigger store along The Broadway. It initially stocked kids’ accessories and clothes, staying true to its dedication to the pageant style. Matching outfits for mums and children proved a particular hit.

More recently, the shop has specialised in women’s fashion and accessories.

“Clothing evolves and people dress their children differently now,” Michelle explains. “I still get people telling me they used to wear clothes from my shop when they were little.

“Now we do women’s clothes and make sure we stock all sizes from eight to 22. That’s important because there is nothing out there for the larger woman.”

Her customers range from teenagers to a 92-year-old woman. Michelle’s dedication to stocking unique items and her faithfulness of glamour is extreme. In the past she would visit Hollywood and Las Vegas at least twice a year to meet suppliers and source new items. With more than two decades in retail under her glittery belt, she has learnt to always be on the look out for merchandise.

She says: “Wherever I go I am looking for ideas.”

Hollywood Babes now stocks things from all over the world, with many regular suppliers in Paris. The merchandise has proven to be recession proof.

Michells says: “Touch wood, things have been going well. I think it helps that there is no one else around where we are.

“I look at some high streets and wonder how they can all survive doing the same thing.

“The things I stock are fun and keep me interested and I like to think I am ahead of my time.”