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Dayton’s Not Dead: Mirabella Boutique

Mirabella Boutique | Photo by Natalie Cunningham | The Wright State Guardian

Mirabella Boutique | Photo by Natalie Cunningham | The Wright State Guardian

Barbi Dewitt opened Mirabella Boutique in 2013. Her first store was only 400 square feet. Today, her store is 2200 square feet.

“What I always try to reiterate to people is: you don’t have to start at 2200 square feet. You don’t have to start big. Sometimes you’ve just got to start. That’s not just with entrepreneurs or business owners. It’s anybody. It’s fitness or anything else. Sometimes you just have to start,” said Dewitt.

Marisa Bridges is Dewitt’s mother and supports and helps her daughter by hanging out at the store and helping with the seasonal decorations.

“Clothes can make a woman feel confident. I’ve seen her take young girls and women that had no confidence and she dressed them and totally changed them. She even had one husband tell her one time ‘I love the clothes my wife gets from your shop and I love how she dresses when she comes from your shop’,” said Bridges.

Dewitt is from a military family and went to Fairborn High School. She believes Fairborn is extremely supportive of their community and that they show exceptional commitment and loyalty to not only those who’ve been part of the community for years, but also those who are new.

“Being right next to Foy’s and all the history and the vintage vibes of a 1920s dime store, I love everything vintage. That’s why I chose here. There’s so much going on and it’s the cute quintessential small-town America. I love Fairborn’s Main Street,” said Dewitt.

Dewitt plans to further expand her online presence and would consider opening new stores in Fairborn. She would like to open a home store, a gift store or possibly even a second clothing store.

“Maybe they [some people] don’t have the confidence to wear things. That’s kind of a big deal to me. I want to give them the confidence to wear it and make sure they know how to wear it. I want to give them sort of a safe space, too,” said Dewitt. “Some people just come in here to visit; they don’t even shop every time they come in here which always speaks volumes. I have people all the time say ‘I was in such a bad mood. I’d had such a bad day. I just wanted to stop by because you’ve always got such great energy.’ That’s more than anything I can do clothing-wise. That’s always such a compliment.”

Mirabella Boutique holds many discounts, deals and giveaways. The boutique is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at 14 E Main Street in Fairborn, according to their website.

Natalie Cunningham

Former News Reporter

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