This past weekend was the grand opening celebration for Sandy's Boutique. From the friends and family presale commencing Friday and a free yoga class Sunday morning, it's been a packed and exciting weekend celebrating the newest local business in Ann Arbor. Located conveniently in the downtown area, Sandy's provides a blend of fashionable everyday pieces, functional and coordinated sportswear, a dangerously tempting selection of jewelry (I'm a gold girl with no self-control), accessories, and, of course, all the fun new gameday gear you've been looking for.
Owner Jillian Bean Greco's ultimate passions are fashion and fitness. In true MASH style, she is a real-world example of finding success and fulfillment at the intersection of your interests. "Every day, there are a million things to do, but I don't have to sit and do the same thing every day, which I love!" Not surprisingly, launching a new business is a fun and exciting challenge for this go-getter girl-boss. In the process of her significant achievement, she learned so much later, explaining only experience can teach you. Having gained and grown throughout this journey, Jill wants to be a resource to anyone interested in the business of fashion, especially from the small business perspective.
Perfectly capturing the reality of work after college, Jill explained how "everything sounds exciting when you are in college, then you go to do it and realize this isn't exactly what is satisfying for [you]. If you don't know going in, you'll get stuck doing a job you don't like even though you still love fashion." There is so much going on in the daily operations of any job in the fashion industry that isn't spoken about, making it hard to distinguish the different sectors that sound appealing to you. To combat this, Jill sustains a transparent attitude when speaking on the daily operations of running a small business. From learning about buyers and showrooms to understanding catalog shopping and inventory percentage planning, Jill is committed to helping anyone interested explore all the avenues businesses and fashion have to offer.
During the interview, Jill patiently walked me through a few possible routes she takes when scouting pieces for the store. Though the details and underrated steps it takes to curate a store are only sometimes available to consumers, we agreed that sharing the scouting, displaying, and purchasing process enhances the shopping experience, especially at a boutique. This is because you can shop knowing that "the person (within store management) who is the buyer picked everything for you and thought about how every item looks together." Many never wonder about this discreet yet pivotal process. The purchasing process is cutthroat, and much of the effort and time spent behind the scenes never crosses the minds of consumers.
Beyond fashion and a love for shopping, Sandy's is ultimately about the people. Jill loves engaging with everyone and has such a genuine energy throughout the store. Whether providing clothes that make you feel and perform at your best or simply sharing the knowledge she's gained through opening Sandy's Boutique, Jill wants to inspire and help people do what they're passionate about.