By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
When Oxford, AL native Kerrie Greenhaw was a little girl, her Grandma Dot would take her shopping for clothes on Saturdays, and it was their special time together. Sometimes Grandmother Dot would take her “all the way to Birmingham” so they could peruse the larger department stores, and it was these excursions that served to birth a love for finding just the right fashion item in Kerrie’s heart. Dot was a stay-at-home mom, and raised her own as well as “everyone else’s” kids. Dot was every inch the lady, and hails from the era when women wore dresses, hats, gloves, and never went downtown in slacks.
By contrast, Kerrie’s Grandma Jewel was a single mom, worked outside the home, supported and raised two kids on her own; was a strong survivor and also a lovely woman of the South. Kerrie wanted to honor both of these ladies and their legacy, and when the opportunity came to open up a clothing boutique at 127 N Marion St in Athens, Kerrie named her shop after Dottie and Jewel.
Kerrie has spent a goodly amount of her career in the fashion industry, and managed Shoefly in Madison for five years. She especially loves shoes, and will be going to market in Dallas in January to select special clothing, accessories and shoes for Dottie Jewel. She told me that she loved her job at Shoefly, and didn’t want to leave. “I know this might sound strange, but I felt like I was being led to leave. I prayed for two years, feeling that I was supposed to open my own place, but nothing happened. Then I took a weekend where I fasted from all social media as well as my phone, spent time praying, and the next week, this place fell in my lap. I have a ‘praying friend’ who helped me, as did my husband and other people, and we were able to get the shop ready for Christmas Open House. It was a miracle,” she said. Kerrie added, “My husband had a work-related trip scheduled in the middle of getting the shop ready, and even though it didn’t make any sense to do it, I went with him. When I returned, ‘this’ was given to me.” The “this” is a whimsical painting by local artist and retired Athens High School art teacher Jennifer Hooper. It features a smiling, bespeckled lion and was a surprise “shop-warming” gift made possible by a couple of Kerrie’s dear friends.
I asked Kerrie, “What is the Dottie Jewel vibe?” She thought for a moment and said, “Classic. Contemporary. High Schoolers clear up to my mom.” There are a lot of natural fibers that are soft. There is a whole rack that has glitzy dresses for parties, and my personal favorite is a denim jumper that is shaped by several tucks. It is a washed black denim, and there was a time close to 50 years ago that I had something similar.
There are casual jeans and shirts; DJ carries its own line of earrings and accessories. There are pajama sets that come in their own little triangular pouch. The candle fragrances are softly inviting. There are fun accessories for pickle ball, as well as some select choices of stationery. Among Kerrie’s favorites are some custom tea towels that show a cartoon map of Athens. She had them commissioned by a friend.
We talked at length about our shopping trips with our grandmothers; (mine having occurred in the ‘50s and ‘60s), and my grandmother also was a true Southern lady who hailed from Louisville. One thing that Kerrie would like to restore is the feeling that used to accompany dress shopping, and that was someone who worked where you were shopping, that was skilled in striking the balance between letting you just browse and functioning as a personal wardrobe assistant; and that genuinely wanted to help. We have become so accustomed to big box stores where you are completely on your own that one rarely has the experience of having a true professional help you make your choice. It’s got to be someone who takes pride in their work and has a desire to help you find what will make you look smashing.
Kerrie says she gets such pleasure in helping a customer find “it,” and she also enjoys stocking items that are high quality as well as affordable. If this is what you are looking in a women’s clothing boutique, then you need to come to Dottie Jewel and enjoy the legacy along with the love behind it.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
December 20, 2024
