For a woman who is not in touch with fashion, it can be overwhelming to walk into a boutique on Elmwood and expect to fit in. Fortunately, there is now a clothing store that will gladly welcome any woman, even if she is dressed in jeans and a hoodie.
BeYouTiful Boutique, located at 513 Elmwood Ave. on the corner of West Utica Street, features urban looks and stylish taste. This colorful shop with walls of yellow, violet and turquoise stocks casual tops and bottoms for women of all styles.
Owner and operator Jetaun Jones grew up in the Buffalo area. A former model who worked during high school, she gave up that career to pursue her love for fashion.
"I would like to get back into modeling," said Jones. "No matter what they say, you're never too old."
She began her college career at Morgan State University in Baltimore studying biology. However, Jones soon transferred to Medaille College in Buffalo and received her MBA in business.
Jones said she had been interested in fashion since she was a young girl.
"When I was little I would go shopping and I would ask for clothing instead of toys," she said. "Even then my taste was expensive."
Jones opened her boutique on Elmwood because she wanted to contribute to her hometown. To her, Elmwood is a great part of town with a lot of potential. Restaurants, coffee shops and apartments currently surround the boutique.
While Jones does not assist in designing any of her clothing lines, she plans to do so in the future. For now, she is most interested in selling and promoting whatever strikes her fancy. The boutique carries trendy yet practical clothing items.
Apparel such as Hudson Jeans and clothing from designers Twisted Heart and Sam Edelman are currently featured at the boutique. Jones purchases her clothing from places like New York City but said she would like to feature local designers one day.
Jones' personal style is directly reflected in the boutique's clothing.
"My personal style is funky, but I like to encourage individuality," she said. "When I see something on TV that I like I change it a little. I try not to be like everyone else."
Upon entering the boutique, a female customer can expect to find an entire outfit, including shoes and accessories, to coordinate with a top and bottom. Spring sandals have arrived and all winter clothing is currently on sale.
According to Jones, new styles come out every couple of weeks, which is a quality that fashion connoisseurs can appreciate because it leaves room for individuality.
"The beauty of shopping at a boutique is that once it's gone, it's gone. Not every woman will have the same shirt," she said.
Heather Loomis, a senior communication major, considers herself to be in touch with fashion. She spends most of her time shopping on Elmwood or purchasing clothing from the Internet.
"I am on Elmwood about four days a week," Loomis said. "I love Buffalo Jeans because they fit me the best," said Loomis. "I also wear Industry which is a new clothing line, and I like Nixon, which is kind of like a skater look."
Although Loomis has yet to visit BeYouTiful, she is interested in the type of clothing sold there.
BeYouTiful Boutique carries sizes ranging from 0-12, but plus sizes will be in stock in the future. The clothing prices at the boutique are reasonable and can be inexpensive, depending on the item. A piece of jewelry may cost $20, but an Italian coat might cost $600. Jones said that paying a lot is often worth it.
"If you spend the money on an item, you get quality," she said.
Recently, Jones visited UB to see "Dress to Impress," a fashion show geared towards showing students how to dress for interviews. A student in the fashion show modeled an outfit from the boutique.
While Jones traveled around UB, she noticed many trendy women who she said had a lot of fashion potential.
"I saw a lot of stylish women who need to venture out on Elmwood instead of staying near the campus," Jones said.
In the end, owning her own boutique allows Jones to satisfy her love for both business and fashion while simultaneously making the latest trends and styles more accessible for others.
"I like to help others look good," Jones said.
