Get ready to throw down some coins – Blush Boutique has arrived at University Commons.
Sandwiched between the new Wal-Mart and Publix, Blush is an all-female boutique offering items that vary from dresses and purses to bandeaus and tights.
Already drawing a crowd for game day fashion, Blush has sprinkled the front of the store with orange, black and white items, offering different styles for different games.
“It’s unique stuff. It is not the stuff that you would find in every store,” said Whitney Messer, Blush’s general manager and a senior in retail and consumer sciences. “We have a very exclusive team of buyers who work extremely hard to find the newest things.”
Blush only orders six sizes of every item and does not reorder, so what the shopper buys is unique to them. Shipments arrive daily from different brands such as Free People, BCGB and Tulle. Blush also has its own personal brand that is nationally recognized and completely exclusive to the Blush Boutique stores.
After landing on the Nashville and Middle Tennessee scene in 2008, Blush has now expanded to Rocky Top.
“When the University Commons opened up the owner was like ‘This is it, I know without a doubt. This is where we need to be,'” Messer said.
The business, Messer believes, is perfectly situated for a diverse market.
“We are trying to get involved with a lot of the high school cheerleading and dance teams and do fashion shows with them,” Messer said. “We hit the campus clientele, but we’re also right on the edge of west Knoxville and Bearden, so we can reach the high schoolers as well as the moms.
“It’s kind of right in the middle of two worlds.”
Already, the ladies of Rocky Top are gearing up for a new shopping experience.
“I am thrilled to have a boutique this close to campus,” said Madeline Webb, senior in psychology. “I love shopping at smaller stores and boutiques because they offer a different variety compared to what larger retailers offer. Being so close to school, I think it’s really going to change the fashion we see around campus.”
Luckily, the boutique’s prices are student-friendly, too.
The average shirt costs about $35 while the average dress costs from $40 to $50. Blush will also introduce a sale section within the next few weeks, offering 40 percent and higher discounts on items. They are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Sunday.
So, whether you are looking for a Tennessee state necklace to sport at the next home game, or you just really need some retail therapy, Blush Boutique is ready to provide.
“We want every woman who comes into our store to feel like they can have a personal relationship with us,” Messer said. “We want to make them look their best. That’s my job … make every girl who comes in love themselves.”
