The White Rabbit Photography
Wild and Personal
Christine Proffitt first opened Wild & Personal Boutique fifteen years ago as a gift shop that catered to the wild animal enthusiast. Zebras, elephants, leopards, giraffes, everyone had their favorites and she carried art, décor items, handbags, jewelry, and more that appealed to collectors. It was a unique niche and through the years, due to demand, she began to add fashion accessories and clothing, with the store transitioning to mostly fashion and accessories around 2005. Now the store is known as a clothing boutique that provides a full range of apparel from Bernie Mev shoes to lingerie, with styles for every body type and every age. The wide selection of jewelry, shoes, and accessories is unbeatable. Christine says, “Wild & Personal is where YOUR taste and style are expressed. Whatever they are.”
Wild & Personal carries the trendiest styles for the younger set, but is unique in that they also carry a large inventory of “Missy” cut fashions for the mature and classy lady with Clara Sun Woo being one of their top selling brands. Made in the USA out of soft jersey material, Clara designs lend themselves to comfort, chic style and easy travel. Careful attention is given to the way the fabric is cut on the bias in these pieces so they drape and flatter the body. They’re machine washable and dry without the need for ironing. You can roll these tops and pants up and throw them in your suitcase!
Christine says, “Everything I sell is geared toward comfort and style. I want things that are colorful and great for travel.” Whether you’re looking for fashion forward or classic basics, she adds that approximately 90% of the inventory at Wild & Personal is made in the U.S. Christine buys much of her fashion online, using wholesale websites with a huge number of participating vendors. She has established relationships with vendors at The Mart and can get items from them shipped to her within a day in most cases. Christine explains that these days it isn’t as necessary to go to shows, because now everything comes through online merchandising and email marketing through vendors. When she does make buying trips, she attends gift shows as well as apparel shows to purchase jewelry and accessories. If you’re looking for something new, Wild & Personal has shipments coming in every day.
Although Wild & Personal does still have its “wild side,” it’s really the personal touches that keep shoppers coming back year after year. Josie Dittrich and Alicia Vaughn help Christine to provide personalized service to her shoppers. They will act as your “personal shoppers,” and can help you find a dress or ensemble that flatters, complete from head to toe with shoes, complementing jewelry and accessories, or just the right piece to complete your wardrobe or to pair with favorite pieces in your closet. From glamorous island cocktail events to weekend getaways or a day at the beach, Wild and Personal has something for every occasion.
Christine says that this special attention and the wide variety of apparel and accessories available at Wild & Personal has ensured that she has regular customers who are local residents, as well as repeat customers who make it a point to shop at Wild & Personal whenever they are on the island. She loves receiving the thank you notes and emails from satisfied customers saying they were complimented on what they were wearing or that they enjoyed their shopping experience.
Lillian Clarke, Sea Island resident and one of the organizers of the CASA Fashion Show, had this to share:
“Recently, I bought a fascinator at Wild & Personal for an event in Augusta. I received so many compliments on it and told everyone it was from Wild & Personal! The focus of the CASA Fashion Show this year was “Shop Local.” Christine Proffitt is among our wonderful supporters who participate in our annual fashion show, purchase ads in our program, and give door prizes when asked. The non-profits in this community could not exist without our wonderful merchants and I salute them all.”
Christine feels the same about the continued support of the local community, saying, “I feel blessed because I’ve been able to maintain, when other people have come and gone. I am thankful for my terrific helpers, all of my regular customers, and to community partners like Elegant Island Living.”
She also has a team of talented people like photographers Mike Force, Deidra Kerce, and marketing specialist Melissa Moore helping her with her website and multi-media marketing to ensure Wild & Personal keeps up with the times and the ever more tech-savvy customer base. Now you can shop Wild & Personal online and keep up with current inventory via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. So, go ahead and get “wild” and shop online at midnight or stop in the shop at Redfern Village for the “personal” shopping experience. Either way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
