RLS Fancy Dress: Meet the Leeds woman swapping Nursery nursing for running her own costume shop

Leeds has lost its fair share of fancy dress shops in recent times with many not surviving multiple Covid lockdowns and that makes RLS Fancy Dress a welcome delight.

Launched by Becky Sayers last week, the store has arrived just in time for the spookiest time of the year.

Becky, who has worked as a nursey nurse most of her adult life, always dreamed of owning her own business and last Thursday that dream finally became a reality.

Speaking to the YEP, Becky detailed the work that went into the launch.

"I got the shop back in May but it had been vacant for sometime so it took me around three months to renovate the cellar and main shop floor,” she said.

"Then came launch day and I had balloons outside to make people aware, I posted about it on our business page and I put an advert in a local magazine which goes to about 1,500 houses.”

When the shop on Lowtown in Pudsey became vacant, Becky saw it as an opportunity she just couldn’t turn down.

Having always had a love of costume parties, the idea behind RLS Fancy Dress was a long considered one.

Becky said: “I’ve been a Nursey nurse since I was 16 and have an open university degree in child care.

"During lockdown I got furloughed and it was a bit boring so I liked to watch the Apprentice on TV and Alan Sugar always says ‘if you want to set up your own business find a gap in the market’.

"I’ve always enjoyed fancy dress and go to a lot of Butlins adult weekends and I realised during lockdown a lot of costume shops in Leeds had closed down.”

After buying a bit of stock to see how it went, Becky realised the idea was beginning to take off and left full time Nursery nursing last Christmas.

This allowed Becky to fulfil a lifelong dream of being her own boss.

“It’s always been a dream and I used to talk about it with a friend at work. We would talk about owning our own business one day and being our own boss,” Becky said.

"When I left at Christmas I didn’t think I would get my own shop but just see how it goes. Then it got really busy and I just didn’t have the space to work from home anymore.”

One day Becky was driving in Pudsey when she saw the perfect vacant shop and after a huge refurbishment, which included new doors, windows and flooring, she was ready to open.

The shop has everything you might need for a fancy dress party from children’s outfits to 80s inspired fashion. The store even has its own dressing room.

Becky added: “Aside from Halloween outfits, the 80s is by far the most popular request I get.

"Nearly everyday there is somebody coming in asking for something 80s related for a party or a festival.”

With such a huge selection there is guaranteed to be a costumer for everyone but if not then Becky says she can also order in via request.