A new business has opened it’s doors in Portsmouth — located at 605 Chillicothe St., in downtown Portsmouth, GypsyChic Boutique specializes in girls and women’s clothing. Which means you don’t have to travel all the way to Ashland to find some of your favorite brands and styles, like Miss Me denim and TOMS shoes.
As of right now, GypsyChic Boutique is open from 12 until 5 on Thursday through Saturday, but owner Mandee Blankenship says that will change soon, once the business finds it’s footing.
“I also run another location in Chillicothe, and I’ve been there since October. Prior to that I had a store in Cleveland. I talked with some of the girls here at Shawnee State and they’ve all told me that there is nowhere to shop, you have to go out of town just to find clothes. So I decided to open another location here in Portsmouth,” said Blankenship.
Blankenship went to school for fashion design and merchandising and has been in the boutique business for four years, operating and managing several successful boutiques.
“I want to offer the community good quality products at an affordable price point,” explained Blankenship. “Each piece is carefully thought about, I think about the people in the area, the season, the quality of the fabric, the way the garment is designed. I try to offer a variety of every day wear for all ages. It’s not all for high school students and college girls, there are things that mom’s and older women can wear as well.”
Supporting local businesses like, GypsyChic Boutique, plays an integral role in community development. In fact, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the community while only $43 of each $100 spent at a chain retailer goes back into the community.
“It’s all part of having a dream and trying to make it work,” said Blankenship. “We have bills, we have to pay to keep the lights on, the water running, and we have to stock our products. It can be hard to compete against big stores. If people don’t support small businesses, that’s when we have to close our doors. But I’m here, and I’m offering something that the community needs and doesn’t have, and I want to be here to stay.”
For more information about GypsyChic Boutique, you can find them on Facebook at ‘GypsyChic Boutique’ and you can see photos of their collections, and outfit inspirations on their Instagram page @gypsychic_boutique. You can also stop by the Chillicothe location at 67 North Paint Street if you’re in the area.
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