When Molly Broeren moved her designer women’s clothing store from the Brown Palace Hotel to 1660 Stout St. in downtown Denver in 1988, she had a lot of company. Her neighbors included venerable menswear retailer Andrisen Morton, the women’s boutique Montaldo’s, and a luggage store. Nearby was family-owned Neusteter’s and within a few blocks, department stores like The Denver and May D&F catered to downtown shoppers.
In the past few years, Molly’s of Denver has been the lone fashion retailer on the block. Andrisen Morton opened a new location in Cherry Creek North in 1999 and other stores shut their doors.
Broeren said she considered moving, but her customers wanted her to stay put. She didn’t need much convincing.
“I’ve always loved the energy and diversity of downtown, and wanted to be part of the business community,” Broeren said while sitting in a leather armchair in the marble lobby of the Equitable Building just outside her store on Tuesday afternoon.
She had to turn her back to people passing by after being frequently interrupted. Broeren wasn’t being rude — she needed to finish an interview before returning to the business at hand: preparing to close her business. Molly’s of Denver merchandise and fixtures are being sold starting Thursday and the sale will continue until it’s all gone.
“I’ve had a good run,” said Broeren, now 66. From 1981, when she bought her store at the Brown Palace from Marcia Rommel, to today, there has been a sea change in fashion and retail. “People today want to shop online. I wasn’t willing to become an online store,” she said.
Broeren’s goal all along was to specialize in classic merchandise and offer excellent service to businesswomen who needed to look professional and appropriate, she said. Her customers rewarded her with loyalty and many have been shopping with her for decades, pampered by Broeren’s willingness to pay for valet parking or run purchases out to the curb if a client didn’t have time to come inside the store.
Broeren and her staff spent hours outfitting clients for events. She tailored her merchandise assortment to satisfy customers, not always following what Seventh Avenue deemed fashionable in any given season. After initially selling suits and office attire in the 1980s and early 1990s, Molly’s inventory shifted to the more casual clothes her clients desired for weekends, as well as special occasion looks and career wear.
“Instead of accepting trends, I gave women what they wanted, whether it was blue jeans or ball gowns,” she said. “It was very clear to me all these years who my market was.”
Broeren has matured along with her clients, many of whom are also now in their 50s and 60s and work as executives in the worlds of business, education, philanthropy and politics.
“Every important outfit in my closet is from Molly’s, and every piece comes with a memory of not only the occasion, but the fun I had in her store shopping for them,” said Robin Wise, president and CEO of Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain. Wise says she still gets comments from people who remember a bright red Mina Mann off-shoulder wrap she wore to a Colorado Business Hall of Fame dinner a few years back.
“Molly’s was the go-to place for advice on how to dress,” Wise added. “She could outfit you not just for Denver, but for anywhere you happened to be going.”
Dorothy Horrell, chancellor of the University of Colorado-Denver, has been a customer for 20-plus years. “Her team had a way of working with customers that was helpful and supportive. You could make good choices because they kept records of what you purchased in the past. They’d remind you of what you already had in your wardrobe so you didn’t buy things you didn’t need. They never wanted to make a sale just for a sale’s sake and would give you honest feedback. I’m sad they’re closing, but happy for Molly.”
Broeren’s contributions to downtown Denver’s business life will also be missed. She has been a member of the Downtown Denver Partnership since 1981 and has served on its board for many years.
“Molly’s passion and commitment to building a strong center city were evident both in the way she ran her business and the way she gave her time to the partnership as a board member,” said Tami Door, president and CEO of the partnership. “She understands the importance of having a strong retail environment. The environment has certainly changed through the decades, and she’s stayed through the tough times and great times. She has also been an important role model for other independent retailers.”
Not only was she a role model, Broeren also shared her mailing list with other local retailers. That’s a generous move uncommon in such a competitive industry.
Broeren earned many honors through the years, including Volunteer of the Year for the Downtown Denver Partnership in 1991 (she chaired the group’s annual awards dinner for more than 15 years). She was named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts and one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce in 2015.
When her business winds down, Broeren plans to spend more time with her husband, developer Bill Mosher, and their four children and six grandchildren. She will also continue to devote time to such organizations as Children’s Hospital and Judi’s House.
And where will she shop? “In my closet!” she said, laughing.
But when it is time to replace items, “I will continue to support small retailers,” she said. “It’s always my first choice.”
Store closing sale hours for Molly’s of Denver, 1660 Stout St., beginning April 20 are Mondays through Fridays, 9:30-5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 303-825-4415. mollysofdenver.com