Block has made business fashionable for 5 decades

America Chavez was in a full-blown panic.

She had not been able to find a dress she liked for her niece’s quinceanera, and time was running out.

"I was stressing. I’m saying, ‘I can’t find a dress, I can’t find a dress.’ So a friend said, ‘Have you been to this boutique,’" Chavez said as she was shopping at Napadashery in downtown Fairfield on Nov. 12.

This time, the Napa woman was looking for a dress for her daughter’s quinceanera.

Chavez said she found the perfect dress for her niece’s coming-out party in February, and was quickly falling in love with a dress she tried on for her daughter’s event. She said four of her sisters and five of her nieces have found dresses at the store as well, several of them were shopping with her that day.

But it is not always about the dress, Chavez said.

"You can get the same dresses everywhere, but the customer service here is great. They are always behind you telling you that it looks good," added Chavez, admitting though that there are also times when she is told the dress does not work for her.

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Marge Block has been finding the perfect outfits, and accessories, for her customers for 50 years, carefully watching the fashion trends, keeping prices down and making sure the customer has a great experience at the store.

"We actually started selling (men’s wear) out of a car," Block said.

Since then, the 73-year-old San Francisco native has had two storefronts in Fairfield, and has switched from selling men’s wear, to girls teen and now to a women’s fashion store at 814 Texas St. Over the years, she said, the level of fashion has become more sophisticated in Fairfield, and she has had to work to keep up with the latest looks.

That is why she frequently travels to New York, where she searches for the right clothes at the right prices. Customer service is also a big priority for Block, but she said the key is melding all aspects of the business together.

"In order to survive, you can’t continue to do what you do year after year. So I am constantly looking for new looks at good prices," said Block. "If you stay stagnant, you are finished."

She said she does not judge any customer for her tastes. She tries to work with them, although she admits she has advised some over the years they needed to keep up with the times.

"My gift is I can look at anyone and dress them so they are thrilled," Block said.

"But it is not just customer service. It is also selection and prices. If you don’t have the prices, and dresses I have, you can have all the customer service in the world, and still not be successful," she said.

Still, Block beams when she sees returning customers come into her store. Some have been shopping with her for decades. Some, she said, come from as far away as Fresno and Redding.

Susan Bumatay has been shopping at Block’s store for more than 25 years, and said Napadashery is the best-kept secret in Fairfield when it comes to women’s clothing.

"It is amazing the sense Marge has to put everything together," said Bumatay, who describes herself now as more of a friend than a customer, though a dedicated customer she remains.

She said when she leaves the store, she knows it is a complete outfit, from the hat on her head to the shoes on her feet.

"She knows how to buy and compete with the big stores," Bumatay said.

It is not just customers who hang around. She has one employee who has worked for her for more than 20 years, and her bookkeeper recently retired after a 46-year business relationship. The woman’s daughter now handles the books.

"I am very fortunate to have a wonderful staff," Block said.

There is a passion behind the work, and Block said she cannot remember when clothing and fashion did not interest her. The way she tells it, it has been an obsession.

"My father was in the western wear business in San Francisco on Third Street, and I used to beg to go to work with him," said Block, who often worked on Saturdays and had free rein to move items around in the store and make other suggestions – even as a young teen. "But they (her parents) wanted me to get an education. That was a big deal with my father, who only went through fourth grade."

When Block declared she wanted to major in business when she was heading off to college, her father insisted she study education and become a teacher. And that was what she did.

"I was a teacher for two years, and I hated it," said Block, who has a daughter and a son, neither of whom had any interest in the fashion business.

Since then, Block has been living her dream, and she sees no reason to stop. She knows she will retire some day, but does not see that happening anytime soon.

"This business has been very good to me. I’ve had thousands of people come in over the years. I have wonderful friends," said Block, adding she enjoys good health and loves coming to the store every day. "I would not change my life for anything."

When Jackie Starr came into Napadashery for the first time, she was not even looking for a dress.

"I had just got a divorce, and Marge heard my story and said, ‘It looks like you need some help.’ So she hired me for two days a week," said Starr, who has now worked at the store for six years.

Starr said it is obvious that Block knows what it takes to be successful.

"She keeps moving."

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