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As children grow up, they decide their interests and passions. For one local woman, fashion is a passion she developed at an early age, but it was challenging to find clothes. Years ago, as a teen girl, she dreamed of finding cute clothes that matched her age and fit well. She began dreaming of opening a store with size-inclusive stylish clothing for various ages. A few years ago, her lifelong dream became a reality for her after opening her store in Boone, IA, naming it Chasing Our Memories Boutique. 

Since then, owner Myla Olson has moved and expanded her boutique space twice.  

Starting with online sales through Facebook, her store lived a few days a week in her dining room. However, Chasing Our Memories Boutique moved to downtown Boone and finally landed in her current space on Marshall Street. 

The store is stocked with apparel, footwear, accessories, home decor, gifts, and handmade items from community members. 

The Chasing Our Memories team has built close relationships with customers and has gained an impressive social media following across Facebook and TikTok. 

This is thanks to recently hiring Michelle Anderson as a social media manager to help them reach and connect with customers even more. 

The shelves in-store and online are full of best-sellers such as Kancan jeans, Judy Blue jeans, graphic tees, shackets, and trendy shoe options such as sandals, boots, and more. Olson is amazed at the growth her business has seen over the years. She explained she started a scrapbooking business years ago in her home and decided to switch directions in her company and move into fashion retail. 

“I have been up and down on the scale and fashion has always been something I have fought with. My middle daughter, Sara, and I started getting some pieces in, and we were selling them on Facebook right from my house,” she said. 

When she switched her business to a clothing boutique called Chasing Our Memories Boutique, it was a challenging economic time during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was able to take advantage when retailers saw online sales surge. 

This surge allowed them to get the store started and grow quickly. 

As a result, Olson said she and her team are focused on growth and continue maintaining the community of shoppers they have cultivated these last couple of years. 

While social media continues to evolve, getting the vision of their boutique out is the focal point for Olson and her team. It had always been Olson’s dream to open a boutique, and she knew the environment she wanted to create from day one by offering size- inclusive trendy items and helping women feel beautiful. 

After they grew quickly, Olson looked for a storefront downtown, and they opened the doors for about six months and then quickly outgrew that space. They now have a retail space on Marshall Street in Boone that is much more spacious and open for shoppers to enjoy. 

People who buy online and through Facebook can choose to have their items shipped or stop at the boutique to pick up their items in-store. Olson encourages people to come into the store and shop because they love getting to meet new people. She enjoys helping customers find pieces they can feel confident in. 

Some brands have been consistent with Chasing Our Memories, including Puppy Love and Kancan, which continue to fly off the shelves. Other popular items are fresh in comparison. 

Shackets were one of the first items Olson added to the store. Shackets is a newer term used in the fashion industry for an item that is a mix between a shirt and a jacket. She decided to try a few unique styles of shackets, placing them in a basket on the wholesale website. After the shipment, she introduced them to customers on Facebook Live. They sold very quickly, and she expanded from there. 

Offering trendy items is a must for boutique owners. Olson and her team watch fashion content on Tik- Tok and other social media platforms to do market research. They also value their customers’ feedback. Customers have continued to love cheetah print over various seasons and are enjoying cow print options now as well. 

When selecting inventory, Olson and two others on the boutique team go on the wholesale sites and pick out items they think go over well. 

“Usually, if it’s a 2/3 vote, we go for it. It really is a crap shoot some- times,” Olson said. 

The team loves getting to bring customers latest items that are flattering and trendy for all body types. Helping people feel pretty and find the right outfit to complement their bodies is a rewarding experience for the Chasing Our Memories team. 

The community Olson and her team have built through Chasing Our Memories has been aided by their social media efforts, which began when she launched the business. 

Chasing Our Memories was on Facebook from the beginning, and it continues to be the leading platform for the retailer. 

Olson explained they go Live usually twice a week on their Facebook page, showing items they have gotten into the store. 

A lot goes on behind the scenes of their Facebook Lives. At the time of a Live, you can find Olson, a bookkeeper, a technology assistant, and the most recent addition, models to show off outfits. 

Olson and her team have crafted the art of keeping viewers engaged while watching. Shoppers can get a behind-the-scenes look at the film corner towards the back of the retail space. 

Olson and her team, including Sara, Tami, Lori, Max, and Gina, keep things running at the store and online. Word of mouth and community members have hedged against the constant changes across social media platforms and algorithms that have sometimes challenged companies’ abilities to reach consumers. 

“We just recently got enough followers to go live on TikTok, so we are excited to see where that goes,” Olson said. 

Trends are constantly evolving and changing. It can take a lot of work for boutiques and shoppers to keep up with trends. Some wholesalers require retail owners to buy a year in advance. 

“Wholesalers say items are set a year ahead of trends so it can be really hard to guess sometimes what’s going to go over well,” Olson said. 

Since opening, other challenges the boutique has faced include ship- ping delays, inventory shortages, and social media stalls. Through it all, the team keeps a positive mindset and has continued to grow their business. 

Olson believes size-inclusive clothing is becoming more accessible, and the industry is moving in the right direction. She is glad to be a part of the change. 

“Times have changed. I watch Tik-Tok and see plus-size women feeling so comfortable they will go on in their bra and underwear and try clothes on. I come from an era where that was not okay. I think it’s a good thing for women in general; it’s changing,” Olson said.