Touch of Toowoomba: City Chic

TOUCH of Toowoomba brings you a scene from the lives of people in Toowoomba each week. Who are they? And what do they love about our great city?

GOOD FIT: Helping women with plus-sized fashion at City Chic are (from left) Trena Sloss, Shannon O’Brien, Michelle Burke and Sharyn Frey.. Picture: Sean White

TOUCH of Toowoomba brings you a scene from the lives of people in Toowoomba each week. Who are they? And what do they love about our great city?

When: 12.30pm, Wednesday, April 3

Where: City Chic, Grand Central

Trena Sloss

I USED to live in Oakey before I moved to Toowoomba 20 years ago.

My husband and I use to travel to and from the city before we decided to move to the city to be closer to his work and schooling for our children.

I like living in Toowoomba because it is the convenience of the city. Everything you need is close to each other and Brisbane is only an hour drive away.

I do miss the friends and the neighbours I had in Oakey.

Before I stared working in the retail industry since December, I used to work in hospitality. I worked in the back-of-house in hospitality for way too long.

Working in retail is so different to hospitality because there is a lot more human interaction which makes my day interesting.

Shannon O'Brien

I HAVE lived in Toowoomba all my life.

Toowoomba is a great city because it has everything you need here, and you get to experience all the seasons.

Before I started work in the retail industry seven years ago, I used to work in hospitality.

The reason why I started working here was because I wanted to work in plus-size fashion.

One of my most memorable moments of working in retail was when I helped a customer who had recently had twins.

She didn't know how to style her shape after having children, but we were able to find some outfits for her and afterwards she cried because I had taken the time to help her.

That was a rewarding moment for me in this industry.

Michelle Burke

I WAS born and raised in Toowoomba and have lived here for most of my life, but I have also lived at Hamilton Island, Gold Coast and Sydney.

The reason why I decided to move back to Toowoomba was because I decided to have a career change and started working in child care which I did for 15 years.

It was an interesting time working in childcare. Working in the industry for so long, I became a manager and so I got to see both sides of the industry.

After 15 years I decided I needed a new challenge, and that's when I started working in the retail industry.

Working in retail can be challenging. Sometimes you need to think outside the box when communicating with people.

It's rewarding to be able to help people who are not confident with themselves and help them find that confidence.

Sharyn Frey

I WAS born in Brisbane and moved to Toowoomba seven years ago because I was looking for a change.

A nice aspect of Toowoomba is that it has a lot less traffic compared to Brisbane, and it is really developing into itself with new restaurants.

I used to work in administration before I started working retail 11 years ago.

When I started working in retail, I fell in love with the interaction. I wasn't used to talking with people on a daily basis.

It's rewarding being able to help people find the right outfit.

Originally published as Touch of Toowoomba: City Chic