Word Origin & History. boutique “fashion shop,” 1953, earlier “small shop of any sort” (1767). So why do many people associate a boutique shop with it being expensive? At the moment we’ve got a range of dresses in our window for under £55. We’ve got evening dresses starting at £85 and day dresses at £48.

The amount of passers by that have stood outside the shop this week saying they always thought we only sold expensive dresses is incredible and yet we always aim with our window displays to show a range of dresses at price points to suit all budgets.

It’s interesting that this assumption will stop people coming in to a shop where they can pick up a gorgeous dress at the same price or sometimes cheaper than on the high street. I even encouraged – well my team said it was more like dragged – a couple of ladies in who were admiring the window to take a look at what we had to offer. They were pleasantly surprised at the price point.

So please don’t ignore your independent dress boutiques if you’re lucky enough to have some near you. We may be small but we’re beautifully formed and not as pricey as you think!