There are shops you walk into because you need a dress, a gift, or something pretty.
And then there are places you walk into because they make you feel a little more like yourself.
For Kim Smith, Statement Boutique was that kind of place long before it was her business.
After her husband, Chuck, passed away in 2021, Kim found herself standing in the middle of a life she had not planned. She had been a stay-at-home mom for 21 years, and her children were now young adults. Suddenly, she was trying to understand who she was now and what life might look like moving forward.
Statement Boutique, then located near her home, became one of the places she returned to often. At first, it gave her a reason to get out of the house and do something small for herself. But over time, the boutique became something she looked forward to — a warm, welcoming space where she could browse, breathe and feel a little more like herself again.
“It became my little bit of retail therapy and a place that simply made me feel good,” Kim says.
In 2022, when Kim saw the boutique was hiring, she applied. What began as a job quickly became something meaningful. Over the next year, Kim fell in love with helping women find clothing that made them feel confident. She loved the conversations, the relationships, the women who came in unsure and left smiling, and realizing she loved coming to work every day.
For Kim, Statement had already been part of her healing. Now, it was becoming part of her purpose.
Then the owner asked if she had ever considered buying the boutique.
Kim’s first answer was no. Owning a business felt risky. But the question stayed with her, and over time, what first felt impossible began to feel like an invitation.
In September 2023, Kim took a huge leap of faith and became the owner of Statement Boutique. Looking back, she can see the beauty in the full-circle story. The boutique that helped her feel like herself again had become the place where she would begin building something new — a purpose rooted in helping other women feel seen, encouraged and confident, too.
Now, that story has continued in Smyrna Market Village.
Kim grew up in the Austell, Mableton and Smyrna area, and after moving back, she began spending more time in Smyrna Market Village. She quickly noticed what business owners love about it: people show up here.
They walk. They gather. They shop. They support.
At the same time, Statement’s lease in Acworth was coming to an end, and Kim knew the boutique needed a new chapter. She had her heart set on Smyrna, but there were no available spaces and no obvious next step. As much as she loved having a storefront, she had begun preparing herself for the possibility that Statement might move fully online.
Then, while walking to StillFire, Kim saw a “For Lease” sign in the window of the space where Statement now sits. The sign had gone up just two days earlier. She called Monday morning, toured the space that afternoon and knew immediately.
This was it.
Since opening in Smyrna Market Village, Statement has been welcomed with the warmth Kim hoped for. People walk in and tell her they are glad she is here, or that Statement is exactly what Smyrna Market Village needed.
That response matters because Kim wants Statement to feel like shopping with a friend.
The boutique carries clothing, jewelry and accessories for women in many seasons of life. Kim does not buy for one generation. She buys for women — real women with full lives and places to go.
But what Kim wants is for women to find pieces that feel like them.
One of Kim’s favorite moments happens when a customer agrees to try on something she never would have pulled from the rack herself.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, ‘I would have never grabbed this off the rack,’” Kim says. “My answer is almost always, ‘Just try it on.’”
Then comes the mirror moment. The smile. The realization that stepping outside your comfort zone can be fun.
That is what makes fashion meaningful to Kim: finding the outfit, accessory or small detail that helps a woman feel beautiful and confident.
The relationships matter just as much. Some customers come in for a specific occasion. Others stop by to browse or say hello. Kim loves when women linger, talk and make Statement part of their routine.
“They’re not just coming for the clothes,” Kim says. “They’re coming for the relationships we’ve built.”
As Statement settles into its new home, Kim looks forward to continuing the Giveback events she began in Acworth and finding ways to support the community around her.
After Chuck passed away, Kim and her children were surrounded by people who showed up with kindness and love. She has not forgotten what that felt like. Now, she hopes Statement can be a place that offers encouragement in return.
A place to shop, yes. But also a place to connect. A place to be seen.
Visit Statement Boutique
Statement Boutique offers clothing, jewelry and accessories for women in many seasons of life — all in a warm, welcoming Smyrna Market Village shop designed to help women feel beautiful, comfortable and confident.
Statement Boutique
1295 W Spring St #120
Smyrna, GA 30082
(770) 529-1199
shopstatementboutique.com
Instagram: @statement_boutique
Facebook: Statement Boutique
“Personal style tells a story before a person ever says a word.”