Tucked in a downtown block on Main Street is a store new to Hope named Vintage Girls Boutique & More. This boutique brings a mixture of the new and old to provide an eclectic shopping experience for customers. Business-owner Connie Lavender, a local resident, also provides a platform for local artists of the community to display their wares. One can find a little bit of everything in this store and it all has a touch of class.
Vintage. Who doesn't love those rustic designs of years gone by that bring a touch of nostalgia? Among the collection of antique furniture and artwork, patrons can also find classics such as jewelry, dishes, mirrors, decorations, and other assorted knick-knacks. All the while, one can encounter items like those seen years ago in grandma’s kitchen giving him or her that cozy feeling of home.
Vintage Girls also supplies new women's clothing lines for customers to shop. All brands are ordered in various sizes from fashionable clothing lines which appeal to ladies of all styles. A dressing room is also available for trying on these trendy outfits. New stock and sale items are often posted on the store’s Facebook page.
This shop also provides some local culture by exhibiting items by artists from and around Hope. Redland Candle Company candles, made by a Hope community member, are soy wax candles of varying scents encased in locally-poured concrete stands. Mary Garret Jewelry is homemade jewelry made by a local artist. Lavender’s door is always open to the community by also scheduling days with a booth for local bakers or crafters, hosting book signings, and much more.
In addition to the new, old, and local, Vintage Girls also makes available revered brands of popular products. Now customers have a local supplier for some of their favorite items, including the following:
- Jolie chalk paint
- Swig Life thermos tumblers and cups
- Candy Club curated, premium candies
- Joan's A Keeper all natural honey products: bath products, chapstick, candles, etc.
Gift certificates are also available at Vintage Girl's Boutique & More. They make great gifts.
At the back of this charming boutique is a workshop where Lavender occasionally gives various classes providing the opportunity for anybody to learn certain crafting or artistry techniques for furniture. Customers can bring a piece from home to work on or have Lavender pick one for them if they choose. Some classes are even a collaboration with other local store owners and artists. For example, spring classes have been scheduled with Barbara Martin Noble from Elm Street Marketplace. The schedule of classes can be found on the Vintage Girls Boutique & More Facebook page, as well as the Elm Street Marketplace Facebook page.
Proprietor Connie Lavender derives great joy in sharing her love of vintage furniture and art. She says much of this couldn't have been possible without her sister-in-law, Karen Johnson, who's been her biggest supporter through it all, helping her learn the business side of running a successful store. There is no doubt that Lavender has an eye for what works when it comes to selecting her inventory. With such a wide range of items to choose from, customers are given a unique shopping experience with the comfortable feel of home. Add to that Lavender’s unassuming, soft-spoken, sweet disposition, one can’t help but leave that store with a smile. Some believe in the mantra “out with the old, in with the new.” Why not have both mixed together with a little bit of local art and culture? This classy shopping experience is available for all at Vintage Girls Boutique & More on Main Street in downtown Hope.
