Forest Acres shop stocks bold colors, prints
Stripes, polka dots and zig-zag lines — patterns and prints, in jewel tones and pastels, line the walls on two racks.
Beachy, loose-fitting cover-ups hang beside belted strapless dresses, and free-standing racks of red, pink and baby blue skinny jeans make a rainbow through the center of the store.
Ivy & Leo, a boutique that opened in the Forest Acres shopping center Feb. 16, is a pretty pink palace of affordable designer dresses, jewelry, shoes and scarves.
The walls are painted bubble gum pink and track lighting sets customers inside a glowing dream house of unique, boutique styles.
The shop, which is based out of Charlotte, has one motto: “Fashion should be fun.”
Each rack in Ivy & Leo showcases a different style, a different color and a different statement. No one piece is too much like last and, perhaps, the most appealing part of the experience is the price.
“It’s reasonable,” said Daisy Carpenter, an Ivy & Leo manager. “It’s shopping without the guilt.”
The clothes, the accessories and the shoes are all boutique finds, but Ivy & Leo has cut the cost that usually comes with those tags. The owners pick each piece of clothing for the six Ivy & Leo locations in North and South Carolina by hand do their purchasing at shows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York City.
Most boutiques shop for brands in Atlanta, Carpenter said, and because Ivy & Leo doesn’t, it has a different selection than other Southern locales. Customers also look for clothing from within the U.S. and Ivy & Leo has it, Carpenter said.
The boutique keeps an open-door policy, literally leaving its glass front doors open, and creates a friendly and helpful atmosphere in its staff.
“We’re not an exclusive boutique,” Carpenter said.
Ivy & Leo tries hard to cater to all ages — from middle-school girls to their moms. Nothing the store stocks is too age specific, Carpenter said.
A table of turquoise baubles and beaded jewelry sit out on a table just inside the front door. A white-boxed showcase of wedges and flats and moccasins, with a few added sun hats and totes, decorate the back wall. Even if moms don’t want to dare to try a fuchsia frock, they have a good pick of accessories.
The first Ivy & Leo — named for the owning family’s two rescue dogs — opened in Charlotte in 2009. Carpenter is the manager at that location, and she is in Columbia to train new employees after the opening.
“In Charlotte, we’re known as a dress shop,” Carpenter said.
Girls come in to snag a Friday night going-out dress, while others shop for more formal occasions, like graduation. One woman even found her wedding dress at the boutique, Carpenter said.
With their open-door policy and upbeat vibe, the Charlotte Ivy & Leo has already dabbled in social nights in the store. The shop will pick a day and offer a discount on merchandise with wine and cupcakes. A portion of proceeds have also gone to benefit charities in the past.
In Columbia, Carpenter has already set her sights on Ivy & Leo’s neighbor, Cafe Caturra, for a possible catered evening of shopping. The boutique also hopes to work with sororities for philanthropic events and college-budget-friendly trunk shows.