MARKETPLACE

Shirl's draws a diverse crowd

By Chad Dally

Shirley Skinner

Amid the art galleries, coffee shops and graphic artists of Old Town, there is a clothing store that thrives on independence from its surroundings. And that’s just fine for Shirley Skinner, owner of Shirl’s Boutique, 1214 Turner St., in Lansing.

An entrepreneur for nine years, Skinner opened her first boutique in Jackson. But she knew she would need a larger customer base than Jackson could provide, and that’s when she relocated to Washington Square in downtown Lansing. She moved to Old Town three years ago, where she faced an unexpected difficulty.

While in Washington Square, she could count on the local business traffic throughout the day as well as people staying at the nearby Radisson Hotel. But she soon found that the community in and around Old Town was not as supportive. "Here we’re more isolated, and even the people that work and live here do not shop in their own area. Everyone that comes here to shop is from East Lansing, Okemos or downtown. That doesn’t really bother me anymore, but I don’t feel a connection with Old Town at all, which is too bad. We talk togetherness, or we talk that we have to build up, but action speaks—words are not worth a darn if they’re not backing them up," says Skinner.

Perseverance is evident in Skinner’s confident personality. Despite challenges, she is happy with her business and plans to stay in the area as long as she can. "I didn’t start out to do as many things in business that I’ve done," she says. "I started out just selling jewelry and make-up. It’s fun dressing women and making people happy."
She also believes that more determination is needed for other African-Americans interested in opening their own business. "I think people need to see that they can do it. They need a lot of support in what they’re doing, they need mentors, and they need capital. People feel more secure when they just have a job than when they’re out standing by themselves," she says.

As for her own vision of the Old Town future, Skinner would like to see more restaurants that stay open late and maybe a gift shop. "They probably even need a men’s store," she says with a laugh.

(Shirl’s Boutique is open 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.)