Looking for unique fashion pieces not found in mass-market retail may be one of the many reasons people shop at boutiques.
Several local boutiques offer tailored customer service and the opportunity to support small businesses while discovering one-of-a-kind items.
We asked Monroe News readers to nominate and vote for their favorite Monroe County boutique.
A total of 10 boutiques were nominated. They were Blush Studio & Apparel, Brown Bag Boutique, Crystals by Kellie, Delirium Moon, Hidden Intuition, Pressed Rose, Reece’s Little Pieces, Sofi Stella Boutique, The Conservatory and Triple P Boutique.
Josephine Archer’s Sofi Stella Women’s and Children’s Boutique secured first place as the best boutique in Monroe County with 526 votes; followed by Crystals by Kellie with 90 votes and Brown Bag Boutique with 24 votes. A total of 653 votes were cast.
Opened in October 2008, the shop located at 15155 S. Dixie Hwy. in Monroe is named after Archer’s daughters, Sofia and Stella.
“At the time we were in a recession in 2008 and it was not the ideal time to open a business,” Archer said. “I took a leap of faith. At that time, my husband was laid off from Monroe Ford and he was waiting for placement at a different Ford facility. He was home and he was able to help with the kids and help me start the business.”
Archer said it was a “team effort” to start a children’s boutique. Within two years, it expanded to a women’s and children’s boutique.
The shop offers a wide variety of clothing for girls, newborn through tween, baby boy and women. It sells jewelry, hats, bags and accessories for kids and women and an array of gifts.
Being involved in the community is important to Archer. For several years, she has donated a large proportion of the store’s inventory to help schools like Monroe High School’s clothing closet.
“We’ve been able to make several large donations from our stock to help,” she said. “Last year, we also helped Waterloo (Elementary) School with some clothes.”
For more than a decade, the boutique has been a sponsor for the Miss Monroe and Miss Monroe Teen pageants.
Attention to detail and personalized service is what the boutique strives for.
“We really help our customers with their goal when they walk in the door,” she said. “If they are coming in with a need, we do our best to meet their need whether it’s a dress for a gala or a baby gift.”
Archer said she is honored to be voted best boutique.
“We feel really good and appreciative,” she said. “We’ve been around the longest out of everybody that was nominated and that means a lot to us. Running a small business is hard and the economy is not great right now. Support from the community is everything. Without community support, you can’t survive.”
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County readers pick their favorite local boutique
Reporting by Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
