Loyd competed in pageants for seven years, mostly in Miss America, placing third in the state. And so for seven years she worked alongside Costa, selling bridal and pageant dresses along with homecoming and prom dresses.
But Terry asked Tina to join her in Dallas for a reason.
“Terry, who was one of my favorite clients, and she said, ‘You know, have you ever thought about owning your own business?’” Loyd says.
By 2007, Loyd bought out Costa and became the sole owner. The team has stayed the same for the most part over the years. Costa stuck around for a bit as a mentor.
“Terry taught me a lot; she taught me a lot about life,” she says. “She’d taught me about having the courage to keep moving forward. The business has been through a lot. Obviously, everyone has had a pandemic; we had a fire at one point, my house had been hit by a tornado, so I would say that we’re very resilient.”
Terry Costa, whose primary clients are from outside the city, turns over its inventory at least five times a year, approximately 10,000 dresses. Seventy percent of the business is prom and homecoming, 13% of it is bridal, depending on the day, 12% in the evening wear category, and then the rest is accessories and couture.
The most popular designer in the prom category is Sherri Hill, along with Portia and Scarlett, and Ashley Lauren. Loyd just launched their in-house Terry Costa Exclusive Collection. The North Dallas store, which already has a significant footprint, expanded (in the space where the restaurant fire occurred), allowing for a larger bridal section.