A 'Rebel' with a sense of fashion
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on December 3, 2017 3:05 AM
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News-Argus/ROCHELLE MOORE
Denise Simendinger recently opened Southern Rebel Boutique, a store with West Coast fashion styles, on East Walnut Street in downtown Goldsboro.
Southern Rebel Boutique in downtown Goldsboro offers a unique shopping experience with clothing that blends Bohemian with West Coast fashion styles.
The store, at 102 E. Walnut St., was recently opened by owner Denise Simendinger, who moved to the area from California a couple years ago.
"I feel like I have a very trendy store," she said. "I wanted to bring a little bit more of the West Coast, laid-back kind of life to Goldsboro. It's just not typical Southern fashion. It's very West Coast eclectic. It's very unique to Goldsboro."
The store has a variety of clothing items and accessories, including blouses, sweaters, jeans, jackets, hats, jumpsuits, rompers, skirts, dresses, shoes, purses, jewelry and belts. The Bohemian style can be seen in some of the store's more modern hippie styles, like tied-up shirts or high-waist jeans.
Clothing sizes are extra small to extra large, with fashion set to appeal to high school students, millennials and adults.
"I only pick things I would wear," she said. "I always thought you can express yourself with clothes. I think in here, you can find a little bit of everything."
Her two teenage daughters also work in the store and help select items they believe would be a hit with younger shoppers.
The store provides a 10 percent discount to students and members of the military. Complimentary coffee is also available. Donations are accepted and all go to the local animal shelter, she said.
"We try to make shopping an experience," Simendinger said.
The store's opening has been a welcome addition to the downtown area, where Simendinger was interested in opening the store.
"I've had an amazing response from here," she said. "People walk in here and they absolutely love it. They love that it it's not the typical Southern monogrammed store."
Simendinger has always had an interest in opening her own store and recently decided it was a good move, after her family settled in the Goldsboro area. The family moved from Anaheim Hills, after her husband was recruited by a local company.
"We're born and raised in southern California and it was just time to move," she said. "I've always loved fashion and now is the perfect time to do it." She picked the store's name, Southern Rebel, because of its clothing styles, which are a shift from the norm for the area, she said. "I just felt like this is a place where it's not the typical fashion so maybe it is a little edgy," she said.
The store is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached at 919-584-6005.