“Melissa and I opened the boutique because we wanted to be able to shop in the same store together,” Noble said. “She's 5'8” and [wears] a [size] XL, and I'm 5'1” and [wear] a small. We wanted to be able to open a place where all ladies could shop for all sizes and heights together.”
Mitchell and Noble opened Striped Box Boutique first as an online business, then rented spaces in various mercantiles followed by opening the first brick-and-mortar location in Frisco 2022 and a Plano store in 2024.
The set up
The boutique owners select their inventory via a variety of outlets including going to the Dallas Market Center, shopping online, vendor visits and occasionally going to the Las Vegas Market.
Customers will find women's clothing sizes ranging from small to 3XL. Mitchell and Noble share the responsibility as it pertains to inventory selection; however, they also have focused niches.
“[Mitchell] caters to a plus-size customer or a customer with a taller height. Jean-wise, she buys Judy Blue with longer inseams,” Noble said. “I buy denim at a crop length so that they have a shorter inseam. We're trying to focus on body types.”
When choosing styles, the business owners have come to understand what their clientele are looking for, and they stay in tune to fashion industry reports.
“[We buy] based on what we know has worked in the past and what we see seasonality-wise,” Noble said. “When you go to market, there are so many vendors—like hundreds of vendors—that present all their products. Over time you notice certain trends, certain patterns, certain colors on top of looking and listening to seasonality reports from the fashion industry, which tell us right now burgundy and chocolate brown are very popular, so we try to make sure we're getting those into our assortments as well.”
What else?
In addition to clothing, Striped Box Boutique sells ladies shoes, bags, jewelry and eyeglasses. There are also a variety of gift items, including college-theme items, candles and bath products.
The impact
Mitchell said many customers have become their friends and they enjoy the connectedness they have to the community. Exemplifying the connection, she points to a longtime octogenarian customer who claimed Striped Box Boutique as her favorite store.
“She came in every holiday season with her bedazzled cane to buy her earrings, shirts—everything for every holiday. She brought her daughter and her granddaughter in,” Mitchell said.
Following her death, a group of her friends paid homage by visiting Striped Box Boutique.
“On the day of her funeral, they came to the store and shopped in her honor,” Mitchell said. “They said, ‘We're fresh from Carol's funeral. We went to lunch, then we came to her favorite place.' It was heartbreaking.”
The ambiance
Noble said their customers often describe Striped Box Boutique as being bright, colorful and full of life.
“We are blessed to have wonderful women that work here, they make it a great experience,” Noble said.
- 9250 Dallas Parkway, Ste. 140, Frisco
- www.stripedboxboutique.com
