Southern Gossip features clothes from both the west and east coast and rarely carries the same item twice to keep inventory fresh.[/caption]A former flower shop in downtown Katy is now a place for fashion. Southern Gossip Boutique, at 5609 Third St., took up residence last August to bring coastal fashion and home goods to the Katy area.
“I like the idea of people realizing that down South, we’re pretty fashionable, too,” boutique owner Nita Bailey said. “For the most part, when people think about fashion, they think about [Los Angeles], they think about New York, and I want to give [people] a taste of that in the South.
“I love [selling clothes from the coasts], and ladies seem to love it, too, especially here in downtown Katy where I hear it’s just different from the other shops,” Nita said.
The clothes in the store are always changing, and Nita said they suit different occasions, from date night and girls’ night out to everyday attire.
“We like to work with vendors that once they’re done with the fabric, they move on to something else. That makes us very different because we have new shipments every week,” she said.
The boutique not only sells clothes, but it also has hats, handbags, jewelry, shoes, and a selection of prom and homecoming dresses as well as home decor items and gifts.
The boutique celebrated its first anniversary Aug. 1. With a longtime love of fashion, opening the store was a dream come true, Nita said.
“That’s just always been a love of mine,” Nita said. “I love putting pieces together. I love working with different textures and different looks and trying something different.”
Nita said helping customers coordinate pieces is one of her specialties.
“We really consider ourselves stylists, not salespeople, so when people come in and want to work here at the shop I always tell them, ‘I’m not looking for a salesperson; I’m looking for a stylist’ because anybody can check somebody out,” Nita said.
She said customers sometimes bring in outfits from their homes to ask her for fashion help.
“We encourage [customers] to do that and to do complimentary style sessions to add some freshness to their existing wardrobe,” Nita said.
She runs the store with help from her daughters, Alexis and Angelique.
“People come here for the clothes, but they also come for [Nita], and it’s so amazing to see,” Alexis said. “Her goal is to make everyone feel beautiful and confident and special, so she really wants everyone from the age of 25 to 85 to feel fabulous and I love watching her interact with the customers,” Alexis said.
