BY AMANDA MACHAMER
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — For RyRowsie Women’s Boutique, success means more than just good business; it means building connections with the community.
Opened June 23, RyRowsie Boutique offers hand-selected women’s fashion, with the mission of leaving its customers “clothed in confidence” and “rooted in love.”
Owner Ashley Beasley said she wanted to sell clothing that customers can wear for almost any occasion, whether that’s everyday, date nights or church.
“I wanted something that I could run around in throughout the day and be comfortable, but I also wanted to have those styles that I could go on a date night, go on vacation or wear to church on Sundays,” Beasley said.
RyRowsie, a combination of the names of Beasley’s three children, had always been a dream of hers. Beasley had a long history of working in boutiques in Auburn, Columbus and Atlanta. With a career in nursing, Beasley didn’t initially plan on owning her own business.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she realized nursing wasn’t the best fit for her family, Beasley said she was able to revisit her background in fashion.
“So whenever [COVID-19] happened, I think I started revisiting things that I really enjoyed when I was younger,” she said. “We had talked about it for years, and then, we kind of came into a season where it actually worked for us to be able to open it. And it took forever to find somewhere down here.”
When asked what she would like the brand to be known for, Beasley said one that represents Christ, loves people and makes their shopping experience something more.
“Whenever they leave the store, they’re uplifted and encouraged, even if they don’t buy anything, just that they had a nice conversation,” she said. “That’s really what our vision of it was, I mean the slogan is ‘Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good,’ but it’s also representing the Lord in that and being kind to people.”
Beasley said the goal is to establish the current location by solidifying management and improving inventory.
In the next few years, Beasley said she hopes to open a store in LaGrange, Georgia.
Whenever she hand-selects clothing for the boutique, Beasley said she asks herself questions to ensure she is making the best decision for her customers.
“I’m just like, ‘Can I see myself in that? What would I wear that to?’ Like ‘Is this functional, is this brand a good brand?’” she said. “Because I am familiar with a lot of brands [with] my history in retail but some of the brands are new to me too.”
Opening the store came with some fear that Beasley had to work through, but said she feels like RyRowsie is what she was led to do and what she was supposed to be doing.
“Taking the leap is hard, I think that’s the hardest,” she said. “It’s just like ‘OK, you’re going to mess up. You’re going to make errors, you’re going to buy stuff that doesn’t work out and you just have to learn and grow.’”
Beasley said she is grateful to be part of the Opelika community, complimenting its welcoming environment and residents supportive of new businesses.
“Everybody’s been so positive and so kind, and I think that we’re extremely fortunate to be a part of a community that wants small businesses to succeed and wants to support small businesses, and [we] appreciate just being accepted,” she said.
RyRowsie is located at 229 S. 8th St. in Opelika, and is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
