
By MATT WELCH, The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER, Va. (AP) — Lacey Larrick’s family had a bridal shop on the Loudoun Street Mall when she was growing up and it was a place where she spent many days as a child.
Now, Larrick owns and operates Still Meadow Boutique at 17 S. Loudoun St., which is right across the mall from the former bridal shop.
Larrick said she learned some tricks of the trade from her family along the way, and she consulted with aunt before deciding to open her own shop. That, combined with operating the Apple Blossom Festival’s Souvenir Shop the last two years, gave Larrick the push she needed to take the leap.
“It had always been in my head that I wanted a storefront, but I wasn’t really looking,” she said. “I just stumbled across it and felt like it was the right decision to make. It was the perfect opportunity, and it was in such a prime location. I’ve always loved the historic look, and the building I found was perfect for that.”
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Larrick’s business started in 2019 with a website and a few social media channels selling women’s clothing.
“I wanted a place that I could go that was affordable that wasn’t bigger retailers,” she said. “I didn’t love all of the styles that they had coming out, so I decided to open my own women’s boutique.”
She would list items on her site and then list them on social media and market through those channels, but she soon found it was difficult to get the word out digitally.
“I’m still trying to grow in that, but having the storefront really opened a lot up for me,” Larrick said.
When she decided to go into retail, Larrick jumped in head first and began researching as many options as possible. Through that, she found wholesalers to purchase clothes, and she works to ensure the clothing can be sold at a fair price.
She offers women’s sizes small to 3XL.
“I want to try to appeal to every body size,” she said.
When she thinks back to those days as a kid, walking through her family’s bridal store, Larrick said she could envision herself owning something similar one day. Now that she’s got it, it feels natural, she said.
“It’s incredible,” she said. “Now, I have another place that I go to that I call mine — it’s like my second home, and I’m obsessed with it. It gives me the space and time that I need to get that work done and focus on my dreams.”
For more information, visit stillmeadowboutique.com.
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https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2021-12-26/still-meadow-boutique-offers-womens-clothing-accessories