We were lucky to catch up with Christi & Lily Marshall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christi & Lily , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Naming our company was the one thing that held us back from launching sooner. From the very first conversation about creating and building an online boutique we knew we wanted to have a name that could be linked to the bible. We read through many verses and thought on how those could apply, wanting it to be short, easy to remember, and meaningful. Both of us had always loved Proverbs 31 chapter 25 (the New Living Translation) which reads, “She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.” It became obvious that this was the verse to pull our name from and Clothed Boutique was born!

Christi & Lily , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Our story begins during covid when Lily was home from college and we were sitting around the kitchen table both busy at work, Lily with homework and Christi with her coaching business. Christi asked, “If you could do anything in the world, what would that be? What are you passionate about?” Lily responded, “I would like to own a boutique.” Six months later Clothed Boutique launched online.

Christi had worked in retail in her younger years and had even thought at various times in her life how fun it would be to own a boutique, she just didn’t want to do it alone. It’s awesome to think her partner was there all along; she just had to grow up and find her own purpose/passion.

The two of us really bonded over the years through our shopping excursions and love of fashion.  We found, as Lily got older, that we had similar tastes and would share clothes, each styling pieces differently based on our ages. We know many other mothers and daughters that also do this and that is why we have chosen to offer pieces for women ages 20-60 (and beyond). We know many women want to wear current trends and we work hard at finding those pieces along with needed basics, jewelry, bags, and shoes.  We curate a collection of clothes with the knowledge that some pieces will interest a younger age group, some will interest an older age group, and many will interest all ages.  We believe the difference is how each group decides to style the pieces into an outfit. We feel our ability to see how a particular piece can be worn and styled depending on age is what helps set us apart.

We are really proud of the fact that a big part of Clothed’s mission is to give back and choose local and national charities to donate to. How this is done is by automatically having 5% of each sale go to a designated charity directly at the time of purchase…To Clothe and To Give is our main mission!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

While Clothed Boutique is mainly an online store we get most of their customers by being out in the community and collaborating with others. In the early days we found it very challenging to build awareness of the company and brand. It can be difficult to separate yourself from the many online boutiques and stores, not to mention not having a physical space for customers to find you and get acquainted with the quality of your products.

So, we decided to host a small Sip and Shop in our home for family, friends, and friends of friends. This was the first big chance to get in front of people and show them what we had to offer. It was so successful that it has now become our number one way of growing the business!

In addition to the Sip and Shops, we started collaborating with other businesses by doing pop up events at various locations. These events are great because it’s  a chance to be out meeting new people and making connections while bringing awareness to both businesses.

We have also attended and been a part of holiday markets that feature multiple vendors. This year we also started going to day long markets at different locations throughout Michigan. And have even created our own event that will be held annually in April called Girls Day Out that includes other vendors.

Additionally, you can now find limited inventory of Clothed Boutique at three locations in Michigan… Hailey James Exchange in Clarkston, Yoga Vita in Clarkston, and Shops on Saginaw in Flint.  We were first approached about the idea of being part of a permanent market of vendors by Shops on Saginaw in July of 2021 and loved the idea.  We had items at that location for a year until it closed up and are excited to announce the Shops re-opened this July (as part of 100K ideas – a non profit company) and are back in there!

We are truly grateful to these three businesses that have invited us in and allowed us to be a part of their businesses. We both believe that small businesses working together are the future! We  post on our social media platforms where Clothed is popping up, attending markets, and hosting events so our followers can come see us, we love in person connections!

Another way we source new clients is by taking our collection into the homes of our customers. We started these In Home Shopping Experience events last year. The host receives special deals and can work with us to decide what products they would like to showcase for their event.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One resource that we have found to be highly impactful in our business is a company called Boutique Hub. This is a membership based resource for boutique owners that offer trainings, a space for owners to learn from and share with each other, and even purchase goods to sell. Their main philosophy has become one of Clothed’s own… community over competition.

While it is so easy these days to feel the competition, especially in e-commerce, we believe that each boutique is unique in their offerings and who they attract. And also feel that if small businesses don’t support and promote each other, the chances of surviving amongst big box stores and the ever growing conglomerates, then we all lose. Years ago it was the small business that was the backbone of our society and we believe it will be again!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopclothedboutique.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopclothedboutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopclothedboutique
• Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/shopclothedboutique
• Other: Our App: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1573969671

Image Credits
Samantha Rice