Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
On Thursday, March 23, Monticello citizens gathered around the entrance of new business, Emerald's Southern Boutique, for a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome them to the Monticello business square. The new shop is located at 90 N. Jefferson St., on the north-east side of the courthouse circle.
Much like the name implies, this shop features a variety of western, boho and punchy-style clothing, giving it a modern, southern-style flair. The store is owned by Emerald Strickland and her husband of three years, Jacob, with help from her sister, Catrina Molloy, and her children, Logan, Hunter and Madison. Emerald's other niece, Steffany, is also a helping hand for the family business, although she was unable to attend the Thursday ceremony.
Emerald mentions that one key feature of her shop is the concept of body positivity, and she says that no matter your clothing size or your age, all of her customers deserve to look and feel good about what they wear.
Originally, Emerald ran this small business model out of the bedroom she shared with her husband, but when one of their promotional videos went viral overnight, the pair decided they wanted to jump in full-time. They began running the business out of the “mother-in-law suite” at their house, and business began to boom.
Then in September of 2022, the family lost their house to Hurricane Ian, losing the business alongside it. Family connections brought them to the Monticello area, where they have been able to find their dream home and begin again with the at-home boutique. But living in such a beautiful, rural area has its downside; Emerald struggled with a lack of internet connectivity, which is crucial for maintaining an online business presence. It wasn't until passing through town that Emerald noticed a small storefront for rent, and thoughts began turning toward owning a brick-and-mortar business.
“It was by the grace of God that we can open this,” Emerald says. “Everything lined up just right, and we had what we needed to open!”
The family held an official Grand Opening on Saturday, March 18. Together, Emerald and her family have created a space full of style, personality and southern hospitality. They offer crop tops, overalls, cute t-shirts, blouses, overalls and accessories. They have worked diligently to create an inclusive space for all ages, styles and body types, and have a little bit of everything available for their customers!
The ribbon cutting ceremony included a message from the President of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, Roger Champion, who read aloud the traditional proclamation, and presented the owners with a traditional framed dollar. After these honorary items were presented, the new shop owners were welcomed to share a few words with the crowd.
After thanking everyone for coming out to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, Emerald introduced her husband and her sister to the crowd and gave some background on the business.
“I started this boutique in our bedroom in December of 2021,” she began. “I would go shopping with my girlfriends, and I wouldn't be able to shop because I am heavier and a lot of places don't offer larger sizes. So it was important to me for everybody to be able to shop here, no matter what your size is. I am a Small to 5X boutique, where you can shop with your girlfriends no matter your size, and you guys can enjoy your time. My mission is that I want everybody to feel beautiful no matter your age or your size; you are beautiful! That is our mission, and we hope to open many more boutiques in the future.”
Then it was time for the much-anticipated cutting of the ceremonial ribbon! With one snip, Emerald's Southern Boutique made itself official as part of the Monticello business community! They will be open for business during the following hours:
Sunday: -closed-
Monday: -closed-
Tuesday: 11 a.m. -7 p.m.
Wednesday: 11 a.m. -5 p.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m. -7 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
For those who wish to do their shopping right from the comfort of their own home, you can visit the online boutique at emeraldssouthernboutique.com. For questions call the shop at (239) 822-7348, and they will be happy to help in any way they can!