Why I Opened a Boutique in Downtown Renton (And Why You Should Stop By)

Hi, I'm Emily, the owner of Esme and Elodie here in downtown Renton. I get asked a lot how this whole thing started, so let me just tell you.

It Started In My Bedroom, Then Took Over My Garage

I did not start out with a storefront. I started out selling women's and plus size clothing from a small bedroom in my house, and eventually that bedroom turned into my garage, boxes everywhere, my family stepping over shipments to get to the car. It was chaotic. My family was incredible through all of it, and I am so grateful they put up with me during that season, because it led me here, to a real space in downtown Renton that I finally get to call home.

Before any of this, I was a plus size woman myself trying to find some confidence after having kids. I studied fashion design and merchandising, taught in a few classrooms along the way, and eventually became a stay at home mom, which honestly left me feeling pretty isolated, especially once the pandemic hit. I needed something of my own again. Esme and Elodie was that something.

What You Will Actually Find Here

This store carries sizes small through 3X, and plus size makes up about 65 percent of everything I stock, because being an average size woman myself, I know firsthand how hard it is to find clothing that is actually cute and does not take a ton of effort to feel good in. That is the whole standard I hold this shop to.

Alongside the clothes, you will hilarious greeting cards, accessories from BAGGU and other stationary items from woman owned brands. And yes, some things that might make you blush a little. I like normalizing a woman's whole experience here, not just the parts that are easy to talk about.

Why Renton, and Why This Matters to Me

I moved to Washington fifteen years ago, and what has kept me here, what makes this town special, is that people in Renton band around small businesses. This city has a small town vibe even though it keeps growing, and residents really do show up for the shops that show up for them. We have a big heart in a small town, and I do not say that as a slogan. I mean it.

That is why I care so much about keeping this a real, local, brick and mortar space on 3rd Street rather than just an online shop shipping out of a warehouse somewhere. When you spend your money here, it stays here, in this community, with the people who live in it.

If You Are Flying Into Sea Tac, Come See Us

We are only about fifteen to twenty minutes from Seattle Tacoma International Airport, so if you are landing for a trip, catching a layover, or just heading home to the Eastside, downtown Renton is an easy, worthwhile detour. Park right on 3rd Street, walk through our door, and let me and my team help you find something that actually fits, whether that is a travel outfit, a gift for someone back home, or just something for you.

Come Say Hi

You will find us at 710 South 3rd Street in downtown Renton, Washington. Whether you have shopped with me since the garage days or you are discovering Esme and Elodie for the first time because you searched for a women's boutique near you, I would love to have you in the store. Come feel the fabric, try on something in your actual size, and see why this little shop on 3rd Street has become home for so many women in this community.

Hope to see you soon! xoxo Emily