Lauren Yokum has a passion for fashion, and with the grand opening of Sassafras Clothing Co. in Wildwood, she has an outlet to share that passion with the community.
“I really wanted to own my own fashion boutique,” said Lauren, who lives in Wildwood. “I started with a booth at Painted Tree in Ballwin and expanded from there to Overland Park, Barrywoods, Maplewood and decided a storefront was the next move.”
The new boutique, at 17237 New College Ave., is next door to the Wildwood Pub and Grill. It held a grand opening on June 15, with a soft opening the week prior.
The shop offers women’s clothing, from sizes extra-small to 3X, and children’s clothing from infant to five-years. Lauren said she plans to expand the children’s clothing to include tween sizes.
She and her mother are proud to offer inclusive sizing, she said.
“That was a big thing when we were talking about a storefront. We got a lot of feedback from the community saying they wanted to see plus sizing,” Lauren said. “So we got a lot of plus sizing to offer that doesn’t feel like the normal plus size market that looks like you’re going to church with grandma or isn’t flattering.
“We wanted to find stuff any size would want to wear, so it’s cute, it’s comfortable and it will work for everyone. We also went to include extra-small, because we also saw a lot of extra-small sized girls who wanted to be included.”
The clothing at Sassafras is sourced from fashion markets, and many of the shop’s gift items come from vendors recommended by other businesses Lauren has worked with.
“We go to Dallas a lot,” she said.
Comfort and usability are at the top of her mind when selecting clothing for the store, Lauren said.
“We have more of a mix of items – casual and upscale. We focus a lot more on the comfort of everything. We touch everything, feel everything before we purchase. The dresses have to have pockets,” she said. “Our items need to be things we’d want to wear ourselves.”
The shop also offers a wide variety of accessories, home goods and gift items, everything from novelty-flavored cotton candy to luxurious, decorative candles and potpourri to tattoos and self-care health and beauty products.
All of this is available at a reasonable price point, Lauren said, adding that the highest price listed on the shop’s website is $117, and most products cost significantly less.
“We have a good mix of prices,” she said.
Lauren said business has been picking up since the grand opening, and the community has welcomed Sassafras.
“We’ve had quite a bit of traffic,” she said. “Business has been good, really good.”
Lauren said her mother, Staci Yokum, came up with the new boutique’s name.
“It’s just one of those she’s had in her mind for tons of years, that if she ever opened up a business she would call it that,” Lauren said. “She just liked the sound of it.”
Sassafras Clothing is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, go to the shop’s website at sassafrasclothingco.com or Facebook page.