A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to check out a tent sale with a great story hosted by Omar + Elsie on Old Lafayette Avenue, an upscale women’s clothing boutique just off of Richmond Road. The shop itself is warm and inviting, made even more so by the picture on the wall behind the check-out desk that inspired the owner to open her doors near downtown Lexington.

Shop owner Abby Dobson explained to us during our visit that she grew up in Lexington but spent summers visiting her grandparents in Maysville, Kentucky. Omar and Elsie Case had a menswear shop that was a staple in Maysville for over fifty years, and they inspired Abby to create her own fashion haven in Lexington. To celebrate the inspiration that her grandparents gave her, a picture of Omar and Elsie hangs lovingly on the back wall of the shop for all to see.

It was this story of Omar + Elsie that drew me in for a visit, and I was very impressed with the designs that it has to offer when I stopped by. The boutique features clothing, shoes, and accessories by well-known designers Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Jonathan Adler, as well as items by unique, up-and-coming designers. The store is staged very well, with crisp white display furniture and a beautiful crystal chandelier lighting up the room. As a lover of color, I especially enjoyed the subdued gray on one wall mirrored by bright turquoise and white stripes on the adjacent wall.

I came home from my visit to Omar + Elsie’s winter tent sale with two cute tops, and my friend came home with a stylish pair of Kate Spade flats. We were both thrilled with the great tent sale prices, but what really inspired me to write a post about this shop was the way we were treated by the shop owner. At the end of what I know was a very busy sale day, she still took the time to treat us like we were the first customers of the day. She offered suggestions about items that matched our purchases, told us about Omar and Elsie, and genuinely thanked us for visiting her store. It’s the little things like these that can make or break a customer’s relationship with a store, and at Omar + Elsie, they’re the little things that made me want to tell others about my visit and write about it on Wanderlust, and Coming Home.

If you’re in the market for something special to add to your closet, consider stopping by Omar + Elsie for unique designer finds inspired by a business that was fifty years in the making. In celebration of the shop’s one-year anniversary and Omar’s birthday, Omar + Elsie is hosting a special event this Thursday, February 12, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Small bites and sips will be available, giveaways will be up for grabs, and the entire store will be 15% off, so it’s the perfect day to check out this local boutique!

© Copyright 2015 – Amelia Adams