On Jan. 6, 2022, Mandy Loveridge and Jessica Bullman changed Inman’s clothing community forever.

Loveridge and Bullman were both stay-at-home moms. Loveridge is the mom of two young boys, Jayce and Maddox. And Bullman is the mom of one young girl, Emory. Both had a strive to make the fashion industry better.

Bullman and Loveridge both knew that there was a need in the community for something a little different and affordable in Inman. They wanted to help the community grow and work together. ”It just kind of was a joke that kind of turned into a reality,” Bullman said.

Bullman and Loveridge started out as an online boutique out of Loveridge’s basement at first having live shows weekly, showing new clothes and jewelry. It wasn’t long before they had the opportunity to relocate into a store in downtown Inman. 

Everything just fell into place, they both explained.

Being stay-at-home moms, it was important for Bullman and Loveridge to be able to create their own schedules. They wanted to have a boutique and make the fashion industry better but also still be a part of their children’s lives. 

“As stay-at-home moms, we get to spend more time with our kids, (and) we get to bring them to work with us, so we aren’t missing out on anything.”They both explained. 

A big part of wanting to create a business in Inman was creating something for everyone at any age and making it an affordable price. 

It is very important to both Bullman and Loveridge to support small businesses and that was another goal in creating Rustic Jem a Boutique. 

“We wanted to bring a little something for everybody at an affordable price, and we also have a lot of small local businesses that we wanted to support and help grow because today it is very hard as entrepreneurs and small business owners to promote yourself,” 

You can visit Rustic Jem a Boutique at 4A Mill Street in Inman and also find them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.