About Caroline
Welcome to 8.28 Boutique!
ABOUT 8.28
Created in 2018 to make shopping a little more fun, 8.28 is an affordable women's fashion & accessories boutique that carries more than 50 brands.
MY BACKGROUND
Born and raised in Lakeland, FL, I'm deeply connected to my community and love the "big little town" energy of Lakeland. The Lakeland community really loves its people, and will go out of its way to help and support you. Plus, my family is here, and it is such a blessing to be close to them!
WHY MAKE 8.28?
Truthfully, I used to never shop online. I really loved the in-store shopping experience. After I got my first job as a radio news reporter in Birmingham, AL, I realized how little time I had to visit my favorite boutiques. I was working 11 AM - 8 PM and often doing prep work before and after, so I couldn't make it into my favorite stores anymore.
As I started doing more online shopping, I noticed my favorite specialty brands weren't available and that everything close to my price range looked cheap or wasn't in style. For every event or special occasion, I would start shopping three weeks in advance, so I had time to order and return enough items to find something that would work.
THE BEGINNING
My career evolved from news reporter (too much death, dying, and destruction) to working in men's fashion wholesale and online. It was a fast education in e-commerce, and I really fell in love with the online shopping experience. After a while on the job, learning how to navigate the direct-to-consumer online shopping relationship, I went home to my husband and partner-in-crime, Tyler, and started building what would become 8.28 Boutique. I wanted to fulfill the gap in women's fashion with an online store that mimicked the in-store shopping boutique experience while offering an affordable price-point. With Tyler's encouragement (and numerous late-night work sessions!), we launched 8.28 in 2018.
8.28 COMMUNITY
8.28 Boutique has become an incredible community with a fabulous online presence (thank you, Instagram!) and is truly the most fun place to shop. You and every 8.28 Boutique visitor help build the foundation of our store. Your style is crucial to deciding every piece we choose. We are so grateful to work with you and share a community that makes 8.28 an incredible place to shop. Every woman with whom I get to interact teaches me something, and helping dress beautiful, amazing clients is the best job in the world.
MY STYLE
8.28 has a classic, chic style that mirrors my own, with a trendy edge that keeps things current. I have always had a very timeless style with some trendy elements thrown in. I think it's essential to mix fun, trendy, unexpected pieces with a classic, timeless style.
A great example - instead of just buying a classic blazer for work, buy a snakeskin blazer instead. You have the classic piece - the blazer -with the trendy and fun detailing of the snakeskin print! It's a way to have the best of both worlds. Shop my favorite pick's here.
LET'S CHAT
We are always adding new styles and new brands. Hopes for the future include further expansion of the 8.28 shopping community with an ever-growing variety of products and services.
Thank you so much for visiting our store! We are always here to answer any questions, offer product ideas or if you just want to say hello - drop us a note at services@828boutique.com.
