Finding the right place to shop for clothing can be a difficult task. Luckily, downtown Auburn is home to many fashion-forward boutiques. From long-term staples such as Behind the Glass or brand new shops like The Tiny Closet, downtown Auburn is the place to shop.
Downtown provides a variety of boutiques all with unique merchandise and backgrounds. Behind the Glass, downtown’s oldest boutique, first opened its doors in 1987. Its mission is to help women find the perfect outfit to create confidence and power.
What first began as a café and clothing store, formerly known as Tara and Behind the Glass, has evolved into the largest boutique downtown, according to store manager Chloe Floyd.
“Having a boutique in downtown Auburn is really special. We’re very, very lucky to be so close to the campus, and we just have such amazing and nice customers,” Floyd said. “We get a lot of foot traffic, and we’re very spoiled that way that we have so many college students.”
Since the café closed in 1998, Behind the Glass has expanded its clothing selection and houses two stories worth of merchandise.
“What really sets us aside is the sheer square footage that we have. We can provide more head-to-toe options and many different aesthetics for customers of all ages,” Floyd said, regarding how Behind the Glass sticks out among other boutiques.
Since Behind the Glass is the oldest of the downtown boutiques, it has seen a lot of change over the years. According to Floyd, though, the same sense of community has and will always be there.
Co-owner of Ellie Clothing Kelly Poole has also noticed changes in the way people shop.
“Obviously, there’s a lot more condos and things now than there used to be. But I feel like the biggest change has been social media. People can now take a look on social media before they come inside, whereas people used to have to come in to look at things,” Poole said.
Ellie Clothing opened in November 2003 and is home to a wide variety of women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Its goal is to provide trendy, yet affordable, clothing to women of all ages with its target market being college students.
“Owning a boutique downtown is fun. There is such a variety of customers, from college students to parents to people touring the campus – it’s a good mix,” Poole said.
While its merchandise is geared towards game days, Poole wants customers to know that they provide a variety of merchandise to women of all ages and sizes.
Fab’rik is another boutique that appeals to women of all ages. It opened its doors on May 17, 2018, according to store owner Tanya Fuller.
“Owning a boutique in downtown Auburn is phenomenal, and I love it. I wanted to open a store here because downtown is so special to me,” Fuller said. “It’s a great place to be, and it really brings people together, especially on game days.”
While Fab’rik is a chain boutique with locations across the south, Fuller likes to provide a unique experience that sets her store aside from others.
“Because I am older, my boutique has clothing for women my age or older and the college age. I feel like we have a vast assortment of all ages here, so that helps out a lot. Our customer service, also, is like no other,” Fuller said.
Charming Oaks also prides itself on its vast assortment of merchandise.
“My largest selling point is that, I think, we have the largest inventory and the best inventory – and our prices are great. That’s a big selling point for college students, especially,” said store owner Shelby Cohan.
Charming Oaks opened in August 2016. Its mission is to provide a variety of merchandise at an affordable price since its target market is also college students.
“We want to be a place where people can come in and enjoy shopping without being pressured. Downtown Auburn is such a special place to own a business,” Cohan said.
Cohan has also noticed how social media has impacted downtown shopping, and she wishes that people would support small, local businesses rather than online powerhouses.
The boutiques of downtown Auburn have certainly evolved over the years, but one thing remains the same: the desire to provide trendy, affordable clothing to women of all ages and sizes.
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Sam Vise, junior in journalism, is the community reporter for The Auburn Plainsman.
