Women’s Clothing Boutique Opens New Location in Downtown State College

A locally owned women’s clothing and accessories boutique is now open at its new location in downtown State College.

By A Thread opened its new store at 210 S. Allen St. on Thursday, less than three months after closing its previous location at 1341 S. Atherton St.

“We’re really excited to be in downtown and be a part of the community,” owner Emily Boone said. “South Allen Street has celebrated so many milestones with other businesses this year, and it’s really special to be a part of the downtown. It really doesn’t get any better than this, and we’re just really grateful to be here.”

After starting out in Bellefonte, By A Thread moved in 2024 to the plaza on South Atherton Street, and Boone said at the time that the State College storefront provided more space and visibility, as well as easier access for customers.

While Boone said the space “was good to us for a long time,” the shop needed a location with more foot traffic. She announced in early June that the Atherton Street store would be closing at the end of the month, and about six weeks later revealed it was moving downtown.

“For us, it was really important to get into downtown, where there’s really a sense of community and people are constantly flowing into the streets and be in an area that we were way more accessible to local students and tourists,” Boone said.

Since it first opened, By A Thread has offered a curated, ethically-sourced selection of clothing and accessories that prioritizes quality over quantity and helps customers find and fit their personal style.

That remains the priority for Boone at the new storefront.

“I think that for us, it’s really important to continue to do what we’ve been doing because that’s become what our customers have come to expect from us,” she said. “… We’re continuing to offer the same kinds of styles that we’ve offered, that are approachable, easy, effortless, but still feel really cute and curated. For us, it’s just continuing to have really cool, unique pieces that you’re not going to find anywhere else.”

She added that the “charm bar” that By A Thread had introduced at its previous location for customers to design custom, personalized accessories also will continue.

“It’s really fun, something that appeals to every age group,” Boone said.

Renovations to the South Allen Street store — previously home to Custom Shoe Repair, which quietly closed in May with the owner’s retirement after six decades in business — were largely done by the property owner, with Boone and her team making design decisions, she said.

By A Thread also updated its branding for the move.

“We came back with a new logo and new colors, and now we have custom shopping bags and just really wanted it to feel elevated and like a really special experience for people that are coming into town or our locals who are shopping with us,” Boone said.

In addition to starting a fresh chapter, Boone said she’s excited to join neighboring businesses that are long-established staples of downtown State College.

“Growing Tree and Kitchen Kaboodle, you’re talking about businesses that have been in business in Centre County for 50 years-plus,” she said. “The Corner Room celebrated their 100th anniversary this year. I think that that’s just kind of a testament to the community and the kind of support that people show, and the Penn State fans and all of that coming in and supporting the local economy. It’s pretty phenomenal when you really think about it. Fifty years in retail is wild, and it’s fantastic.

“We’re hopeful that we can get to 50.”

By A Thread is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and closed on Tuesdays.