How to source sustainable clothing to support local boutiques.
In this post, I am compiling my favorite local boutiques in the Kansas City area, to encourage anyone and everyone to shop local. I have been shopping locally for about two years now. And these are a few boutiques that I find myself going back to every-time.
Array — The Mall of Boutiques
The first time I physically walked into Array, I felt like I could find everything in one place. Because it is like a mini mall of wonders. And they offer a variety of clothing — from dresses to skirts, graphic shirts to sets, athletic wear to denim and a baby clothing line — it’s all there. In addition, Array does a great job including all types of women of different shapes and sizes to model their clothing — via their Instagram page. And that’s something that I will always root for. So you can find a variety of styles for women of all ages. And it is a great boutique to find unique pieces and treat yourself too.
Etiquette — LA to NY fashion
For the west coast and east coast wardrobe, Etiquette is where you can find just that. They offer the trendiest outfits as seen on Hailey Beiber or Kendall Jenner. And you can find body con dresses, tanks, two piece sets, and a variety of accessories. The two items that I really love to source from them are their bralettes and their dainty jewelry. I had recently purchased a sky blue lace bralette from them and I am in love with it. And they also offer casual clothing like hoodies, graphic tees and basic tees.
Ensemble — Inspired for the everyday woman
If you are wanting to find a boutique where it caters to the everyday woman, then Ensemble is your go to boutique. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. Because Ensemble strives to make every woman who enters their shop in store or online feel beautiful. While also leaving with their favorite curated pieces. Ensemble carries a variety of clothing pieces, home goods, shoes, accessories and jewelry. Also if you are a local to the Kansas City area, you can utilize their open event space catered for baby showers, bridal showers, graduations, or any special event you’d love to celebrate. Kassie Murphy is the owner of this beautiful boutique and what I find the most inspiring about her, was the way that she made it all happen. She had a dream and she made it come true by opening the doors to her ideal boutique in May of 2018. And she has given me the opportunity to create a fashion blog for their subscribers and anyone who likes to stay up to date with their merchandise. I upload every other Sunday sharing how to wear clothing, what is trending, gift guides and I feature local vendors like The Babe Standard.
Frankie and Jules — For the Free Spirited Woman
Frankie and Jules is every boho-loving woman’s dream of a boutique. Their staples are bold pieces like dresses, tops and skirts with a mix of shoes, accessories and local branded clothing. And I absolutely adore seeing their Instagram stories, how engaging they are with their guests and they provide the best customer service in store. You can find a mix of brands like She + Sky, Flying Monkey Denim and Ermish Jewelry. I recently purchased an A-line denim dress perfect for any upcoming summer event and a tie-dye Kansas graphic tee. Frankie and Jules is an in-store and online boutique. So you can shop from the comfort of your own home or you can pop into the store if you live in Kansas City.
The Kindred Shops– The Collective Boutique
These three collective boutiques strive to elevate your boutique experience in-store and online. The Kindred Shops offers a variety of clothing pieces — dresses, skirts, shorts, denim, KC Merch and jewelry — alongside home items, vintage apparel and apothecary. And Kindred makes it easy to find pieces you can wear for an everyday look or for statement finds. So I personally love shopping for blouses, graphic tees and denim. And most of my pieces featured on my instagram are from Kindred. I find myself going back to Kindred often because they carry quality clothes that are both sustainable and very affordable. And Kindred is the ideal boutique for any college student looking for an affordable boutique with a variety of pieces. Or for any woman who is on the lookout for a new wardrobe — Kindred should be your first stop.
Luxxe Apparel — The Trendsetters
If you want a place where you’ll see all of the latest trendy clothing, Luxxe is definitely the place to shop. Because their goal is to make all women feel confident in their apparel. And without breaking the bank. Luxxe boutique is owned by Kassidy Harrenstein and her sister Lucy Harrenstein. And they are two of the most hard working women who treat their customers like royalty. Luxxe Apparel specializes in providing the most popular pieces like wide legged pants, two piece sets, fashionable accessories and Quay Sunglasses. “We strive for customer service by giving our customers a very personal shopping experience. Which allows us to develop ongoing relationships with all of our customers,” said Kassidy Harrenstein. Luxxe always features local bloggers or models to showcase their new arrivals. And Luxxe has new arrivals every Thursday. Also they recently launched their app for easy shopping.
About the Author
Melanie Oliva is a student journalist at the University of Missouri. She is majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Magazine Writing and Investigating Journalism and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Melanie loves shopping local, oat milk lattes, and listening to music. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.