Sudholz describes the group living and workingin and around the Square as "diverse,well-educated, affluent and loyal," and says, "Ifit decides it likes something it will work veryhard to support it."

One women's clothing store found its niche inhigh quality lingerie, which is not offered at themany Square stores marketing goods to students.Louise M. Ciampi founded Clothware in 1972. Her"encouraging" revenues of recent years are a signthat Clothware is here to stay.

Ciampi says that her inventory has attracted afaithful group of professional, lunchtime shoppersand allowed her to persevere in the Square.

Ciampi's lines of lingerie and sleepwear inrare European brands attract not only those wholive and work in the Square, but also tourists.

"I carry nice things," she says.

And when it comes to today's Harvard Square, itseems that's the bottom line.

A Tough Sell

Ciampi is lucky that her store can meet thedesires of customers who still shop in HarvardSquare. The fundamental changes in Cambridge'spopulation have led to trouble for many smallbusinesses. A more intellectual customer base witha lower income once sustained a group of storesthat now struggle to find a new niche.

Louisa Solano has lived in several Squarelocations and remembers it as a place full offamilies.

"At one time all of the houses on these blockshad children," she says. "Now most of my friends'houses have been sold to Harvard or Lesley Collegeas administrative offices or dorms."

The stable community has been replaced by ayounger crowd that is moving on and moving up.Because of the mobile nature of the Squarecommunity, stores have to fight for new customersregularly.

This cutthroat competition can be particularlytaxing on small businesses with less money tolose.

One victim of this vulnerability may be theGrolier Poetry Bookshop. A string of thefts in thepast year have left it unstable financially.

"I am blessed and cursed with one of the mostcreative customer bases in the area," Solano says."Unfortunately they do not have a strong sense ofethics."

For years she has brought poetry readings andbook signings to Plympton Street in a fight toincrease her store's prominence. Support fromHarvard helps, but may not be enough to sustain astore that is the project of one woman.

"I'm not sure how much longer I'm willing to dothis," Solano says, indicating the constantuncertainty that characterizes small business inthe Square