03/13/2026
Let's blow up this post with congrats! Thank you!
🏆 Congratulations to our owner Hettie Dobson for winning The Friends of Hampton County Award on Saturday March 7th. We also want to recognize her husband co-owner RC Dobson.
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Excerpt from Bluffton Today News Article:
Hettie Dobson, Co-Owner of Ruth's Wardrobe LLC - The Friends of Hampton County Award
The Friends of Hampton County Award honors small businesses that make up the backbone of the American economy. From small, boutique operations and mom-and-pop stores, to large multi-generational farms, these entrepreneurial small businesses are building legacies that will last for generations to come.
Ruth’s Wardrobe, LLC is a multi-generational, family-owned business rooted in Hampton County. The business began in the early 1970s when Rev. Aiken R. Ruth and his wife, Gladys, recognized a growing interest in modern men’s fashion within their community. Their son, Eddie L. Ruth, owned a men’s clothing store in York, Pennsylvania, and supplied popular styles of the era to test local demand in South Carolina.
The first retail operation was legally established in the Ruth family home in Varnville. As customer demand increased, Rev. Ruth constructed a small commercial building at the corner of Connelly Street and Highway 63, naming the business Ruth’s Mod Shop. In 1975, the store relocated to downtown Hampton, becoming the first Black-owned business on Main Street. As fashion trends evolved, the business was renamed Ruth’s Wardrobe, a name chosen to reflect longevity and adaptability. Over time, the store expanded into larger downtown locations and ultimately settled at 209 Lee Avenue, Hampton.
Future plans include expanding digital marketing efforts, exploring e-commerce opportunities, and continuing to adapt to changing retail trends while preserving the legacy established over five decades ago.
Today, Hettie’s life is guided by the same values she learned from her parents: kindness, service, humility, and “treating others the way she would want to be treated.” She strives to help people quietly and sincerely – never for recognition, but because it is simply who she is – a God fearing, loving wife, nurturing mother, and successful businesswoman, someone who honors her faith, uplifts others, and built a legacy rooted in family and purpose.
Ruth's Wardrobe LLC
209 Lee Ave
Hampton SC 29924
Phone: (803)943-2842
