Owensboro native Lindsey Ioia launched Bare Linens Boutique – an online women’s boutique specializing in “everyday” wear – in October. The store ships worldwide, and she offers free porch deliveries to the Owensboro area.
“We’re your everyday, casual, and comfort store, with nicer pieces for special occasions,” Ioia said. “Overall, we want to offer pieces that work with everything, the stuff you always want to grab out of your closet. You can run errands and go to work but still look nice to go out for dinner.”
Ioia’s first job was in retail at J.C. Penny’s in Towne Square Mall when she was just 16. She found a passion for it then and soon realized she was good at it.
“I quickly learned how to sell and operate the cash register,” she said. “They even moved me to come in and stock the floor in the middle of the night because I knew where pieces needed to go. They also taught me a lot about jewelry. I loved it.”
Ioia’s sister is pursuing a nursing career; with how much Ioia admires her sister, it was no surprise she initially wanted to follow in those footsteps. After enrolling in classes and working at a doctor’s office, Ioia quickly realized nursing wasn’t for her.
“I didn’t enjoy going to work every day, so I decided to leave and become a full-time nanny,” she said. “I was also looking to return to retail because I knew I could thrive in that industry.”
Fortunately for her, she was nannying for the Clarkes, who own Kidstop Children’s Boutique in Wesleyan Park Plaza. She began splitting her time as a nanny and a retail associate, soaking in all of the knowledge she could.
“They have taught me so much, like how to upload products to the website, ordering, and how to operate a business effectively,” Ioia said.
While doing all of this, Ioia dreamt of owning her own boutique but knew she needed to finish school first. She enrolled at Western Kentucky University-Owensboro and graduated in August with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
“I wanted a degree before I opened my own place,” she said. “I wanted to know everything I could about running a business and how to make it profitable. School really taught me how to analyze the store’s success and potential success.”
After graduating, she opened Bare Linens in October.
Aside from the online storefront, Ioia hosts pop-up shops at various events and venues across town. Her first was at The Cottage during its annual pickle festival, where she sold out of her entire inventory.
She immediately re-stocked and sold out again at an event just a few weeks later.
“Business has been amazing – I’m blown away by the support. On our very first day, we reached customers across several states and countries,” Ioia said. “I prayed that God would help this business flourish, and I feel so blessed to live in Owensboro where shopping small and local is a big thing.”
Click here to learn more about Bare Linens or shop its website. To stay up-to-date on specials and pop-up locations, visit Bare Linen’s Facebook page here.
