Harper Grey's New Location STORY BY & PHOTOS BY BETSY ILER
T
he entrepreneurial spirit came over Taylor Patterson after the birth of her daughter, Saige Harper, in 2017. Patterson, 28, owns Harper Grey, a pretty, relaxing boutique at the Cherokee Village shopping center on Alexander City’s Cherokee Road. She toyed with the idea of opening a store for a couple of years; and then, shortly after her son, Colson Grey, was born in 2020, Patterson opened a 300-square-foot shop at The Square in downtown Alexander City. “That went very well. I was there for a year, and I developed relationships with my customers. I loved it,” Patterson explained. “The only reason I moved is that I wanted to carry more inventory, but it was only 300 square feet.” After developing a customer base and learning what her clientele likes, Patterson has stepped out on her own in a 1,500-square-foot storefront on a busy road closer to U.S. Route 280. Harper Grey, named for her children, offers a variety of women’s, children’s and even men’s clothing, as well as accessories, select food items and more. Hers is one of the few boutiques in town that offers fashion choices in small-3X. “I was doing well where I was, but now sales have picked up,” said the Alexander City native. The personal attention she gives to her customers is key, Patterson said, whether they are shopping for themselves or looking for a gift. “When people come in, often they just want something new. I try to give them a few different items to try on because sometimes, when you look at something on the rack, you think it’s not you. Then, when you try it, you realize it might be. I try to be helpful and engage with everybody who comes in,” she said. Her initial idea was to offer adorable children’s 10 Lake Martin Living
clothing like the outfits she found for her own little girl, and while those items are popular in her store, she realized women wanted pieces for themselves as well. Now, Harper Grey includes an expanded inventory of dressy casual fashions for juniors and women, in addition to children’s clothing for casual occasions, birthday or shower gifts. She also stocks a selection of attractive, comfortable shirts for men, women’s jewelry, body care Bigger and Better and sweet treats to The new store in Cherokee Village is five times larger tuck into gift bags. than Patterson's previous “I also try to offer something for space; Inset: Baby clothes sparked Patterson's interest everyone in every in opening the boutique. price range. I have a $10 sales rack with bargains on it, and the pricing in the store is what I think is reasonable for someone to pay,” she said. In addition to naming the store for her children, Patterson, who also holds down a fulltime nursing position in Clay County, enlisted the support of her husband, Cole, to open the store.
