STATE COLLEGE — A new women’s clothing option is open in downtown State College, as Three Little Birds Boutique fills a much-felt void in the Centre County shopping scene, providing upscale fashion in a low-key environment.
The shop at 220 E. Calder Way opened Oct. 12 but held its grand opening the first weekend of November, with the storefront joining the brand’s other brick-and-mortar locations in Mechanicsburg and Hershey.
“I think a lot of women have pressures, responsibilities and commitments to act or behave a certain way and sometimes we can’t be ourselves,” Miller says. “In this shop, I want women to know that, as soon as you get in here, you can drop your shoulders and you can be who you really want to be at that moment and we’re cool with it. It’s a safe place.”
When looking for a destination for her third store, she says she really wanted to find a place where the brand could serve the locals.
“In State College, there’s really no shopping for women in the community,” Miller says. “Our store felt like it was missing from State College. A lot of women shop online there because everything’s so far (away).”
The boutique offers a little bit of everything, from office-ready wear to casual looks. Miller and her team provide shoppers with expert advice on how to make the boutique’s inventory work together or with your current look, while creating a safe shopping space, free from judgment and discrimination.
“We don’t discriminate by style, wallet, age or size,” Miller says. “Shopping is one of the most vulnerable things for women, especially women who aren’t happy with certain parts of their bodies. … We all have things that we want to work on or that we don’t like to (draw) attention toward, and there are things about ourselves that we love to show off. So that’s why (our team is) there. We know our inventory the best. We work with it everyday and see it everyday so are experts in the sense that we know what’s going to look good and what appeals (to women).”
The Three Little Birds Boutique inventory is always changing, with shipments arriving every day. The boutique only carries items in quantities of 12.
“If you come in, in two weeks you’ll see an entirely different store,” Miller explains. “We like to keep exclusivity, especially since there’s such limited shopping (in the area) and we want (people) to continue shopping with us, knowing and trusting us that something they picked out isn’t going to be seen (on someone else) on the streets.”
Each Three Little Birds Boutique similarly carries different inventory. Two stores might carry the same sweater, but in different colors, or they might all have black dresses, but in all different styles.
Most items are under $100 and each is hand-picked by Miller and her team.
“Everything in the store, we see it in person (ahead of time),” she says. “We feel it. We touch it. We make sure that if we expect the client to pay that, then we’re willing to pay that for what it is.”
On, Nov. 8-10, Three Little Birds Boutique offered a unique promotion. As part of its Weekend of Giving, patrons who brought in 10 canned food items to the boutique received $20 off a purchase of $30 or more.
Other promotions for the upcoming weeks and holiday season include Black Friday and Small Business Saturday specials, as well as a Kids Night Out ahead of the holidays, for children to purchase discounted gifts for their family members.
Follow Three Little Birds Boutique on Facebook at @thetlbboutique, for more information about upcoming specials and promotions
