Somewhere hidden among the midst of Tea List and Cloud Forest Café is a little thrift shop called Bohème. Dawn Donahue, owner of Bohème, opened up her shop at the end of this July, sharing with a friend whose side of the shop sells new and comfortable classic clothing.
According to Donahue, her shop name was inspired by French and Bohemian cultures.
So far, her business has been successful among the community.
“People are responding very well, from high school students to 40-something-year-olds,” Donahue said. “I know that people want a good deal and I want it [the experience] to be fun.”
Beverly Lopez, a senior community and regional development student, stumbled upon this little shop while wandering downtown.
“I thought the shop was really cute and the owner was super nice,” Lopez said. “I’ve seen it downtown near the Cloud Forest Café and did a search for it on Davis Wiki.”
The clothing selection ranges from blouses to coats to jeans. Brands such as American Eagle, Lucky, Levi’s and True religion are up for grabs for a price of $12 or higher. Other articles of clothing such as blouses and t-shirts sell for less. In addition, there are $3 bins with plain t-shirts and other miscellaneous items.
“You find a lot of cheap and old stuff,” Lopez said. “I would never find this kind of thing in another store like Forever 21 because they’re so unique.”
Lopez left the shop with over five pieces of clothing that cost her $30.
Another fan of Bohème, Glenda Drew, an associate professor of design, stumbled upon the shop while walking downtown.
“I was really excited when I visited because they had really cute clothes and really good prices,” Drew said. “It’s nice to recycle stuff instead of buying new things which is something that I think college students are especially into.”
Drew left the small shop with about four items at a cost of about $23.
According to Donahue, her shop is similar to other thrift shops such as Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads, but different in that she sells at a less expensive price. In addition, Donahue handpicks the items herself.
“People can bring in their clothes for store credit or receive cash,” Donahue said. “I’ll take anything that is gently used, unique and trendy.”
So far, Bohème only has female clothing, but a selection of male clothing is an addition Donahue plans to bring in the future.
MEE YANG can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
