The Pink Herring Boutique has brought stylish, plus-size clothing to Callaway County via Facebook.
Owner Justis Smith started this journey two years ago while getting her MBA at William Woods. Her task was to create a mock business, write up a business plan and do the financials. She quickly came to realize the business could become reality.
"I was like I'm going to do a plus-size boutique," said Smith. "I love fashion and clothes, all of that stuff, so I was like that would be fun to do the project on. And then it kind of spiraled into this, this could kind of become reality. My husband was like, 'You should do it, take the plunge and give it a go.' And so I did. But I did it because there is such a limited amount of fashion in our community, but also for plus-size ladies and curvy ladies."
With Smith working full-time, she isn't able to have a storefront at this time, so she showcases her products biweekly via Facebook Live events.
The idea behind being the live events is to show customers new products as well as what they would look like on two different body types. From there, viewers are able to visualize how the outfit may look on them, the way different pieces fit, the length and how the material looks and sits. The boutique specializes in sizes from small to 5-6X.
"You can find plus-size fashion," said Smith. "It just maybe not be exactly what people want. Like I know for myself, I like longer sleeves, and I like longer shirts so I'm covered; it's really about hitting your demographic. And so me knowing what kind of plus-size fashion I like, I'm able to give that to other people."
When it comes to purchasing items for the store, Smith really thinks about what would be best for her demographic as well as clothing she finds attractive and comfortable, and pieces she thinks her customers will feel the most confident in. But she has learned, that not everyone likes her style, so her friend Brooke Ward helps open her eyes to other styles to ensure everyone is able to find something they will love.
"All my life people have always complimented the clothes that I wear," said Smith. "So I just kind of buy what I like. But I also look at all the styles, and I really try to focus on, if I'm a plus-size person, how do I want to feel - I want to feel confident. So I just base it all off of confidence."
Smith has had a lot of fun thus far, especially being able to help individuals style and match their outfits, and she appreciates everyone's support.
"I just want women to feel confident in their clothes," said Smith. "I want them to know they don't have to go outside the community to find those outfits and styles. They can source them locally, and I think that's a really key part to growing the fashion in Callaway County and the ability to give people of all sizes the clothing they feel confident in."
For more information, visit the Pink Herring on Facebook or go to https://thepinkherringboutique.com.