The ‘salesgirls’ will draw a double take.

Bainbridge’s newest salesgirls come all the way from Venice.

No need to learn Italian – the Venetians are mannequins that stand surprisingly lifelike in the window of Bellezza Dolce, a new women’s fashion and fitness wear retailer on lower Madison Avenue.

Proprietor Debbie Elvy jokingly calls the mannequins her “Italian girls.”

“I have seen people driving by do a double take,” Elvy said. “They think they are seeing a woman standing in lingerie in the shop window.”

From up close, Elvy’s girls are clearly mannequins. But their size and body structure give them a shapely leg up on their department store counterparts.

“The mannequins are a little tall,” Elvy said. “But, they are a pretty lifelike representation of a size 4 or 6 woman.”

In opening her new clothing store, Elvy brings a lifetime of fashion experience to Bainbridge.

As a child growing up in Ballard, Elvy always loved fashion, so attending fashion school was a logical decision. However, instead of staying close to home, Elvy chose to explore her European roots and earned a degree in fashion merchandising from the American Fashion College in Lucerne, Switzerland.

“I chose to go to Europe because my grandparents were from Europe and barely spoke English,” she said. “It was important for me to learn the culture and travel.”

After graduating, Elvy worked in sales at Nordstrom in Bellevue, before moving to Sun Valley, Ida., where she worked as a sales representative, manager and buyer for Purple Sage, women’s designer clothing store.

Elvy loved the 12 years she spent in Sun Valley. But with her three children, all out of the house, Elvy and her husband, Ed, decided in 2004 to move back to the Seattle area so she could start her boutique.

“At first I had thought of starting a furniture and interior decorating store,” she said. “But then I decided I wanted to do something I know and love. And I love fashion.”

Unwilling to trust other buyers, Elvy traveled to Italy to shop for brands and vendors. Wanting to expose her children to their European heritage, she turned the business trip into a family vacation.

“I took the kids to Italy with me so they could study the culture and see where their ancestors were born,” she said.

Although it might sound like a month-long shopping spree, buying, for Elvy, is serious business.

“Shopping isn’t easy,” she said. “It takes a long time to find good fabric with a good fit, even with designer clothing.”

While she adored traveling in Europe and exploring Italian markets, Elvy said she is just as excited to become a part of the Bainbridge community.

“People here have been so welcoming and happy my store is here,” she said. “The small town atmosphere, cultural activities and artists all remind me of Sun Valley. I really like this place.”

In addition to her goal of bringing a new sense of style to the island, Elvy is keen on keeping up with the European fashion curve.

“Europe is always one year ahead of the U.S. in terms of fashion,” she said. “I want to go to Milan and bring back something different, something you can’t find in department stores like Nordstrom.”

Between keeping up with the ever-changing fashion world and maintaining aspirations of opening a second store in Gig Harbor, Elvy has her plate full.

But for now she hopes simply to become fashionable on Bainbridge.

“I have been in fashion forever,” she said. “I have been around women’s designer clothing long enough that it is easy to tell the difference between well-made and poorly made outfits.”