VIDALIA &8212; After 20 years of selling elegant formal wear in the Miss-Lou, Billie Forman and her daughter, B.J. &8220;Stynky&8221; Evans, are thankful for a successful business.

Friday marked the 20th anniversary of Billie&8217;s Formal Wear, and to celebrate the two were having a sale.

They also invited Miss Mississippi, Kendra King, to sign autographs at their store.

&8220;We first started this business because back then there were no formal clothing stores in the Miss-Lou,&8221; Forman said.

Forman said before she decided to open her own clothing store she had worked in sales, selling makeup, jewelry and other accessories.

&8220;I found my niche in sales though I really wanted to be a designer,&8221; Forman said.

She found a way to compromise when Forman opened her first &8220;Billie&8217;s&8221; store on Orange Avenue in Natchez.

Forman said she and her daughter went through five moves through the years, from downtown Natchez to Vidalia finally settling at 102 Carter St.

Forman also said the store&8217;s merchandise went through several changes.

&8220;We started out selling ladies church dresses and casual wear like jeans,&8221; Forman said. &8220;Then we sold sequin dresses for evening wear, tuxedoes and finally bridal dresses.&8221;

Forman and Evans said staying open in the Miss-Lou hasn&8217;t been easy through the years.

&8220;There were nights I would cry worrying whether we would stay open,&8221; Forman said. &8220;You never can tell what might happen in a rural economy such as this one.&8221;

But now Evans says the wait and struggle to survive has paid off.

&8220;People from the Miss-Lou, and even as far as California, call up looking for tuxes and gowns because they want to get married here at an antebellum home or some other themed wedding,&8221; Evans said.

If they had it to do all over again, Forman and Evans said they would have bought their own building so they would never have to worry about moving again.

The two are still renting from the store&8217;s current location but they said they do not expect to ever move again.

Five years ago, Forman decided to semi-retire and leave the handling of the store to Evans but she still helps out sometimes.

&8220;I am enjoying the free time I get playing with my grandchildren and cooking,&8221; Forman said.