A new store in Flatts Village is to break with store opening hour traditions, and open until midnight tonight.

And women's clothes store Calais will be open until 2pm on the first day of Cup Match.

Owners Kevin and Tamica Darrell said they need to open at times when their customers can shop - and this is one way to carve a niche for themselves in the market.

And through the summer the store will set a new trend with extended opening hours from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday.

"We get a lot of passing trade," said Mrs. Darrell. "If only we could get a speed bump outside the store to slow the traffic down it would be perfect."

Mr. and Mrs. Darrell opened the store, which is named after their 15-month-old baby girl Calais, three weeks ago.

"The name means 'one who works for the king'," said Mrs. Darrell, who is a school teacher by trade.

The young couple - she is 26, her husband 29, decided to take over the shop just one month ago and turn it into a viable business selling women's clothing.

They used their own money to set up the venture and have been relying on help from family and friends to open on time.

Mrs. Darrell said: "Kevin came home one day and asked me if I would like to open a store. I hesitated for a little while, because we I had never done anything like this before - but within a month we were ready to go."

Mrs. Darrell, who is a special education teacher at Clearwater Middle School, has had help decorating the store from her pupils.

In the light and roomy store she has used decorated huge BELCO spools to display her wares.

But her dedicated pupils need not fear, as Mrs. Darrell will not be abandoning her career as a teacher at the end of the summer, but will be getting someone to run the store for her.

"We are delighted at the response so fare," said Mrs. Darrell, who has bought in stock from Boston and New York in sizes small to 3x. "I like fashion, always have done. Every Bermudian woman is interested in clothes. I suppose you could say I have an eye for it."

Prices range from $2.50 for lip gloss, right up to $70 for their most expensive dress.

She added: "I cater for all sizes. Everything in the store I have picked because I like it. I have clothes for everyone. I have the stuff for them," she said pointing to a group of size four girls, "and I have the stuff for us, the real people."