Online boutique has style for every fashionista

Writer / Suzanne Huntzinger
Photographer / Jamie Sangar

There’s a new online style hotspot that’s catching the eye of fashionistas everywhere. Going live on May 30 this year, Fair Everly Boutique is already enjoying steady sales.

With dozens of fabulous frocks, trendy tops, spunky slacks, shoes, accessories and more, you’ll find the perfect outfit to fit your style. Online sales are hot these days, so it makes sense that owner Jodi Shannahan chose to open her boutique online.

Although there are some who object to online clothes shopping saying they prefer to try the clothes on in person, Fair Everly capitalizes on an aspect of the shopping experience that all customers want more of.

“Our online community helps us connect with our customers and give them highly personalized customer service,” Shannahan says. “Most brick and mortar stores don’t offer that.”

Like most boutique shops, Fair Everly offers great pieces priced at a great value. Most importantly, they sell unique items for customers who want to find something that no one else will be wearing.

“I want to work with people and help them find great things that make them feel good about themselves,” Shannahan says.

Although Shannahan opened Fair Everly just a few months ago, boutiques and fashion have always been a part of her world. She grew up in Gas City, about an hour north of Indianapolis, where her mother owned and operated a boutique. She remembers working in the shop with her mom and traveling with her to the apparel trade show in Atlanta. As an adult, everything Shannahan has done has put her on a path leading straight to opening her own boutique. She earned a degree in apparel merchandising, she worked in a law firm, worked in cosmetics at Nordstrom, and she started a career in real estate sales. At each juncture, Shannahan grew her already tremendous business acumen and fed her adventurous side.

As time went on, her dream to open her own boutique never faded. She put a business plan together, applied for loans, and pursuing everything necessary twice to make her dream of opening a boutique a reality. But each time, something got in the way, putting a halt on her plans. Finally, Shannahan had enough capital to get started.

“I didn’t get discouraged,” she says. “When it didn’t work out at first, I knew it was God’s plan for me to wait, to observe and learn more before I’m ready.”

Shannahan worked hard to be ready, planning her website, creating a budget, selecting inventory, creating ads and doing plenty of promotion on social media.

“But mostly I prayed a lot,” she adds. As Shannahan’s dream started becoming a reality, she kept dreaming bigger. In addition to having aspirations of becoming a national brand one day, she needed a warehouse for the inventory. For now, Shannahan has started off simple. She and her husband cleared a big space in their basement for the warehouse.

Now that it’s go time, Shannahan says she’s taking it one day at a time.

“I’m led by faith, and I’m leading by example,” she says. “I love fashion and I feed off it. I want people to feel safe to share with me and feel safe in what they wear.”

Shannahan encourages her customers to have fun when building their wardrobe.

“Buy staples and accessories,” she says. “Buy that cute top and take your outfit to the next level. No matter whether you’re traditional and classic or modern and trendy, you can be brave by adding one piece to your outfit to create something new for any occasion. Many people have shared with me that they aren’t into fashion because of their body style. But I can help find the outfit that works for you. Everybody’s different, and we should celebrate that. How boring would it be if we all looked alike? There’s a fashionista in all of us.”

Be your own trendsetter. Check out faireverly.com and stock up with the latest styles.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Geist Stories

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Send me your media kit!

hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "6486003", formId: "5ee2abaf-81d9-48a9-a10d-de06becaa6db" });