5 Unique Boutiques in the mwv
The Mount Washington Valley is a great place to shop and has a selection of items you won’t find anywhere else. You can find locally crafted clothing and art objects, blue jeans to fit every shape and size, gently worn vintage clothing, mountain chic and bohemian fashions.
Three such shops you can find side by side on Main Street in North Conway Village: Penny Lane’s, Spruce Hurricane and Beggar’s Pouch.
Penny Lane’s boutique
Penny Lane’s, an eclectic boutique with a funky vibe, has been at the corner of Main and Seavey streets since 2014. Many of the items are made by local artisans; others are imported from around the world.
The shop has leather jackets, bohemian and Victorian clothing and designs, hats, cosmetics and skin care products, stickers, lights made from real leaves, crystals and gems, and hundred-year-old singing bowls. Victorian designs are a special theme this year, with a line of Victorian perfumes made in Maine, handmade lockets, rings and clothing.
“I’m always trying to stay above trend, always trying to bring something that nobody else carries,” says owner Penny Bennett. She looks for quality merchandise that is affordable. "I want the customer to be able to enjoy nice things,” she says.
beggars pouch leather
Next door is Beggar’s Pouch Leather, where owners Rene and Mike Bajger are celebrating 45 years in business in the valley. The boutique leather shop not quality products from around the world, but the staff makes many items themselves.
“We still work with leather, we still enjoy it,” says Mike. “We make all of the belts, some of the handbags, some of the wallets, some of the small personal leather goods like coin cases, eyeglass cases, card cases, money clips, things like that.”
For boots, jackets, hats and other clothing that comes in a range of sizes, the owners bring in a variety of fine leather goods from different companies as well as designer brand handbags from companies like Elle, La Donne, Osgood Marley and ILI. In selecting these items, Mike says, they look for comfort, quality and something out of the ordinary.
Rene said the store has a loyal following. “People say they come to North Conway to see us because we haven’t changed," she says. "Everything else in the world seems to be changing and we have not changed.”
spruce hurricane
Next to Beggar’s Pouch is Spruce Hurricane, a boutique specializing in what its owner, Amber Dalton, calls mountain chic.
“My mom and I had a dream of creating a specialty boutique with leather goods and fashions and jewelry and things that echoed the valley, the ski town heritage and our heritage,” she said. Thirty-one years ago, Dalton and her mother, Nettie Bennett, opened their store on Main Street.
Reminders of an old trading post her family once owned in Maine decorate the store, along with landscapes and paintings of animals for sale by local artist Joelle Goff.
From the start, Western styles have been featured, with fur-trimmed coats, cowboy boots and hats intermingled with the geometric patterns of European ski sweaters and the bold colors of ’70s retro ski jackets.
“I have always been drawn to that aesthetic but I don’t think of it as just Western,” says Amber. “I think of it as mountains and ski town.”
it’s my girlfriend’s boutique consignment
On the opposite side of Main Street, on Norcross Circle, is It’s My Girlfriends Consignment Boutique, a new location it moved into this summer after years at the Eastern Slope Inn.
The shop has a carefully curated collection of gently used clothing and accessories that changes with the seasons, along with new gifts and other items.
“We have pashmina scarves, hats, Inis body cremes, gift cards, napkins, coasters, jewelry — all new and all things that I happen to love so I pray everybody else loves it,” said owner Lisa Spadaccini.
assets jean co.
If you are looking for the the perfect pair of jeans, look no further than Assets Jean Co. on Main Street in North Conway Village.
This small boutique clothing store specializes in helping women and men find the right jeans for their unique body shape and size. Owner Amanda Shackford says the store carries sizes from 00 to 22W and different cuts designed to flatter any body shape.
Shackford says she created Assets because she saw the demand for designer denim and wanted to help women find high quality jeans that flatter their body types at a reasonable price.
The store carries over a dozen brands of designer denim, including Hudson Jeans, AG Jeans, Paige, Silver Jeans and Miss Me. And just because jeans is in the name don’t think that’s all they carry. The store also has leather jackets, ski sweaters, accessories and Frye Boots. And the staff there are friendly and very helpful in helping you find the look that’s right for you.
