Bella8 Boutique opened on Saturday in Historic Uptown featuring size inclusive options for the career woman in search of trendy clothing at an affordable price.

Bella8’s mission is to make professional, stylish clothing that caters to both straight (XS to L) and plus size women. This means the 700 square foot storefront at 501 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North is filled with a wide selection of clothing ranging from size S to 3X. EJ Barkett of Barkett Realty represented the landlord in the lease signing.

Owner and St. Pete native, Shawntavia Turner, wanted to create a space that dresses career women of all shapes and sizes with clothing that is fashionable and contemporary. “We are going to have clothing selections that cover the full gamut, from night attire, event wear, and business casual clothing to swimwear and outerwear.”

Not only was style important to Shawntavia and her co-owner and sister, Janay Clark, but affordably priced clothes were also a priority. That’s why the average price point is $30, allowing women to dress in the latest fashions while keeping their purchases at a reasonable cost. Accessories such as jewelry and purses are also available to complement the clothing selections.

Bella8 isn’t a new concept for Shawntavia who first opened a clothing boutique inside of a salon she owned in St. Pete on 49th Street South called It’s Beauty Hair Salon. After ten successful years in business, the salon closed in 2015. Since then, she’s been working as a real estate broker.

As her success grew in real estate, she decided to open a real estate school, which ended up being the first black female-owned real estate school in Pinellas County. And yet despite her career shift, she couldn’t shake her passion for fashion.

“There seems to be a lack of accessibility in St. Pete when it comes to affordable fashion that caters to plus sized females. I wanted to create a happy medium by providing St. Pete with a boutique that caters to both the straight and plus sized women,” said Shawntavia.

The significance of Bella8’s name speaks to the mission of the boutique, which Shawntavia emphasized is to provide fashion choices that make women of all sizes feel beautiful. Bella is synonymous with the concept of beauty and the number eight signifies the silhouette of a woman.

Bella8 Boutique is located at 501 Dr. MLK St. North Unit 102 and is open Monday-Friday from 10 am–7 pm; Saturday from 11 am-9 pm; and Sunday from 11 am-5 pm. Make sure to follow Bella8’s Instagram and Facebook pages for more information.