By Heather Lusk
Kylei Harness had no plans to expand her retail clothing store, Southern Fancy Boutique.
“I launched a boutique truck at the beginning of this year and that was the last thing I was going to do,” she said. “Then the ‘For Lease’ sign went up.”
Southern Fancy will be moving from a room in Black Dog Books on Main Street to a dedicated storefront across the street at 140 South Main Street by the end of June.
The new location has required a lot of renovation to become a clothing store, with the previous owner being Inga’s Popcorn.
Harness will increase her retail space to 2,400 square feet.
“This was a good start,” she said of her 170 square foot room in Black Dog Books.
With previous a retail background, Harness wanted to manage her own schedule after having a baby.
“I wanted to be a mom and stay in retail,” she said.
“My goal was to bring to Main Street something reasonably priced,” she said, describing her clothing lines as “trendy.”
“It’s not something you’re going to find in the mall,” said Harness of her boutique that opened in November 2015. The Lebanon resident has no southern ties but liked the catchiness of the store name.
She orders limited quantities of her items and “once it’s gone, it’s gone,” she said. “I try to keep it unique so you’re not walking down the street wearing something someone else is.”
In her new location she’ll expand her options of shoes, accessories, jewelry and children’s clothing.
Even with the new store Harness will continue with her boutique truck, which is primarily used for in-home clothing parties scheduled on average once per week. The truck can be reserved by sending a message through her Facebook page.
