By Kristin Boza
Last month, Beauty Chamber Boutique opened its doors at 2249 W. 111th St., offering on-trend clothing for women of any size. Owner Tina Haskin actually started the boutique in March 2018 as an online-only store, but took the leap to open a brick-and-mortar location after experiencing a major life event.
“In December 2016, I lost my mom to ovarian cancer. At the time, I was an educator and social worker in a school. As I worked through my grief, I started to remember some of the things my mom taught me, and I used that advice to pivot from education to follow my passion of opening a boutique,” Haskin said. “My mom always told me to ‘dress for where you’re going, not for where you are’ and ‘when you look better, you’ll feel better.’ I took that to heart as I grieved her loss and made sure I got up every day to do my makeup and put on a nice outfit. Her death gave me the courage to take a risk and try something different with my career.”
The color scheme of Beauty Chamber Boutique is an homage to her mother; the teal in her logo reflects ovarian cancer awareness, and the aquamarine is a nod to her mother’s March birth month. Now, Haskin helps women, from size small to 3X, find clothing that complements their body type and makes them look and feel great. Haskin is also a make-up artist and has a space for make-up tutorials within the shop.
“Beauty Chamber Boutique is about fashion, but just as much about supporting women,” Haskin said. For example, she holds private appointments only on Tuesdays, which gives women who may be insecure about trying on clothes a private time to shop. Haskin empowers women by teaching them to style themselves and find gorgeous clothes for their body type.
Haskin also has deep roots in the community, and was blown away by the support she received from business neighbors and her friends and family. “One woman was driving by when we had our grand opening, and she went home, baked some cookies, and brought them back to the event. She just wanted to welcome me to the community; all the support I’ve received has been very heartfelt,” she said.
Visit Beauty Chamber Boutique Weds. through Sat., 12 to 7 p.m., or by appointment on Tues. Be sure to stop by on July 6 as Beauty Chamber Boutique goes ‘en blanc’ with all-white clothing items for upcoming White Parties.
