"Just do me a favour and try this on" is a line many a Reality Fine Clothing customer has heard over the years from owner Jill Thayer.

Jill's famous catchphrase has often prompted them to try garments they wouldn't otherwise have considered, but which have gone on to become staples of their wardrobes.

It's also a line that has been recalled many times over the last couple of weeks, as Jill prepares to retire and close the business she has operated for the past 32 years in the heart of Wangaratta's CBD.

While the closing date was set for end-of-lease on 4 April, Reality sold three quarters of its stock in the three days after announcing its closing down 'end of an era' sale, so sales may end sooner.

"It was quite emotional for a start, and now it's really starting to sink in," Jill said.

She said she had always worked in fashion, starting as a 15-year-old at Tikki in Ballarat, and then working at a dress shop in Colac, before moving to Wangaratta.

After co-owning a fish 'n' chip shop in Appin Street, Jill then moved to men's clothing store Country Label, before Nick Judd put his Murphy Street business on the market, and Reality was born.

Centrally located on one of the corners of the Murphy/Reid Street intersection, Reality Fine Clothing has evolved over the years, from its early days as a stockist of brands like Rip Curl to its current high-end fashion. What has never changed is the old-fashioned customer service.

Customer Ann Forster was in the store this week to make a final purchase, and said while she understood Jill's decision to retire, she was very sad.

"It's a real loss for Wangaratta - it's somewhere you could always go to find something, and to have a laugh," she said.

"I'm from Benalla, and have friends who would come shopping and make a day of it because we love coming here.

"A lot of us don't really know what suits us, so Jill saying, 'Just do me a favour' was part of finding what we like to wear."

Jill's daughter Stacey Stamp, who has worked at the store for the past 25 years, said most of the customers who had dropped in over recent days had done so to share their memories of Reality.

"It's our own little community," she said.

"We've had about 300 women come in and say, 'What are we going to do?'

"We've also had a lot of husbands come in and say, 'You have always helped me pick a gift for my wife, what will I do now?'

"We've never closed early on Christmas Eve, because we know that's when the men come in for vouchers or looking for something for their wives, and we've loved helping them."

Among Reality's most loyal customers is a lady from Nagambie who travels to Wangaratta each month to spend two or three hours shopping at the store.

"She's become like a grandmother to me," Stacey said.

"We have so many people who come from other places to shop here because they love the experience.

"We've even had people bring their children in, and then those children have brought their children, so it's been quite iconic to Wangaratta.

"With our regulars, we've had an appro service, where women could take items home to try on and then bring them back, which is something that's not really done anymore.

"We are a bit higher-end price-wise, but people have been coming in saying they still have many of the items they've bought because they were such good quality, which is lovely to hear."

Stacey said it had been a privilege to work alongside Jill, and to learn from her.

"Not many girls get to say they've worked with their mum for more than 20 years," she said.

The pair, along with current staff member Debbie Nolan who has become like a member of the family, have seen many changes in retail and in fashion.

Stacey loved buying for the store, and checking out the looks from the European market which would be on-trend in Australia 18 months later.

"There is definitely a cycle - they say it's every seven years - and you see fashions swing from wide leg pants to narrow and back, things like that," Stacey said.

"Denim comes around again; you see denim and leather have their times.

"We're noticing demand for larger sizing; sizes 18 and 20 have traditionally been our two biggest sellers, but we've also noticed in recent years that we're seeing more size six and eight older ladies coming in, particularly after Millers closed.

"We've also seen a big change in evening wear - the young ones want a cheap dress that doesn't cost much, while people of my generation want something they can wear again and again.

"One thing we have always done is blazers, which you can dress up or wear with a pair of jeans."

Jill and Stacey have also watched the changing nature of Wangaratta's retail scene, as long-held family businesses have made way for more chain stores and office space.

They don't know what's in store for 60 Murphy Street beyond their lease, but they hope the next chapter is a bright one.