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Spotlight on Marjory Warren

December 20, 2021 / Paul Langtry / 
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Small businesses work hard to standout from their big box and big name competitors all year long but especially during the holiday shopping season.  Chris Warren is no different.  She’s the owner of the Marjory Warren Boutique that started as a brick-and-mortar retailer in New York City and is now fully online. 

The boutique has a specific customer — women over 50 who struggle to find flattering clothes that allow them to express their style.  “I took over the business when Marjory retired because it fit my life as a young mother, and I enjoyed the challenge of dressing women who were adjusting to their changing bodies. Obviously, a 30-year-old is different from a 60-year-old body!”

Warren curates all the clothing and accessories for the older woman, specializing in casual yet artistic, whimsical looks that appeal to a diverse group of women.

“This is not just physical, it’s also psychological,” declares Warren. “How we feel about projecting ourselves to the world doesn’t change because we are older.  Clothing is a huge part of this.”

Though she enjoys being her own boss, Chris admits she’s had to learn the business side of things as she goes and that includes advertising.  She’s been using AdCritter to build awareness of her brand, knowing that there is a significant need in the marketplace for fashions for women who can’t and don’t want to wear crop tops and skinny jeans.

Using our platform, she has created her ads by using AdBuilder where she uploads images of her clothing, modeled by herself and friends to cut down on costs.  She is using audience-based targeting to focus on women who shop at competitor stores, upscale grocery stores, AARP members, lovers of Broadway and museums and even fans of Oprah’s Book Club. 

Keeping the Marjory Warren Boutique going during the pandemic took all of her resourcefulness and creativity.  She already had an e-commerce site so she just had to learn to use it effectively.  She was also able to secure some funding from ClearAngel, which provides equity-free capital to early-stage startups. 

Her advice for other small business owners? Don’t tell yourself you can’t do something or you don’t have the time.  She recommends learning about how other businesses have become a success.

“The best business advice I keep with me was from a book I read about the history of furniture manufacturing in the U.S. I sell clothing!” says Warren.  “One thing I have done all my life is to learn from others and reciprocate when you can.  It really does take a village.”

You can check out the Marjory Warren Boutique at MarjoryWarrenBoutique.com where you can sign up for a holiday gift guide.

Instagram: @marjorywarrenboutique

FB @marjorywarrenboutique

TikTok @marjorywarrenboutique

You can learn more about ClearAngel at Angel.Clearbanc.com

 

 

 

Our awesome Bubble Dress was choosen as part of
THE BEST DRESSES WITH SLEEVES! 
0Best Long Sleev Dress
Marjory Warren Boutique
is proud to be part of 
Walking Manhattan Sideways. This is a collection of Manhattans side street small businesses; celebrating the determination of business owners in our city. This is also "a heartfelt tribute to the shops, restaurants, and bars that have permanently closed their doors following this incredibly difficult historic moment."
If you are interested in buy this book, here is the link 

 

 

Walking my last two-way street before 100th Street seemed like a momentous occasion. Mainly calm and residential, the street had all the essential prerequisites for the neighborhood: nail salons, tailors, veterinarians, laundromats, churches, etc. There were, however, a few unique places, offering a glimpse of what makes 96th Street special.

Eastern 96th Street starts in a flood zone, one that was evacuated during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The street steadily climbs to Third Avenue, where I gazed upon the magnificent structure that houses the Islamic Cultural Center of New York. The Center, which was built in 1991, faces Mecca.

From Islam, I turned towards Christianity with the St. Francis de Sales Church, a Catholic Church that was first established on 100th Street. On the same block, I discovered Gyro 96, which has already become a new favorite stop for the falafel-loving Manhattan Sideways team. The delicious Middle Eastern cuisine is served through a small window to the awaiting regulars who stand in line.

I was delighted to find Marjory Warren, a clothing and accessories store that had once been part of the vibrant 9th Streetcommunity. I spoke with Chris Warren, founder Marjory “Marj” Warren’s former daughter-in-law who told me about the history of the neighborhood, the personal journey of the store, and her wonderful relationship with Marj. I learned from her that though the south side of 96th Street is considered the Upper East Side/Carnegie Hill, the north side is technically designated as Harlem. 96th Street, therefore, is the first Harlem Street to go up on Manhattan Sideways.

I passed through Central Park’s “Woodman’s Gate” and exited on the other side through the “Gate of Saints.” I stopped atCho Gye Sa, a Korean Buddhist temple where Brother Do Am, who practiced Zen in the Korean Mountains for two decades, resides as Abbot.

A true hidden gem, located on the lower floor of a residential building, accessible only by elevator, was the Art Studio. There, Rebecca Schweiger and her instructors teach all ages and abilities the foundations of art in different media. Rebecca is certainly a large part of what she has termed a “cultural revolution,” in which Manhattanites are seeing the benefits of adding art into their lives.

I continued along a greenery-filled block, home to Plant Shed, a family-run plant shop that has been on the Upper West side for decades. From there, 96th Street intersects with Broadway and begins dipping below Riverside Drive to the Hudson.

Read more about every place on 96th Street!

 

Visit Marjory Warren Boutique as seen on Manhattan Sideways


         

   

Visit Marjory Warren Boutique as seen on ZTrend


 






Visit Marjory Warren Boutique as seen on Manhattan Sideways


         

   


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