On a mission to help women not only look good but feel good

Paige Murray is living her best life, and she’s working to do the same for others.

Although she worked in the fashion industry for years, she recently opened her own boutique, Lillian Casuals, in downtown Port Washington.

But for her, it’s not just about selling women clothes. It’s about confidence and identity.

“I have always enjoyed clothing and helping women feel good in their own skin,” Murray said. “My biggest thing is to make people feel good.

“I’m like everyone else. I’ve had my own doubts. I’ve overcome them. Now it’s my turn to help other women look and feel good.”

She’s doing that in a roughly 500-square-foot space at 302 N. Franklin St., behind Locally Inspired. 

Lillian Casuals — Lillian came from her great-grandmother and is Murray’s middle name — stocks a variety of comfortable clothing with some fancier touches, as well as some shirts and sweaters appropriate for a workplace.

There are sweatshirts and graphic shirts — denim items will be stocked soon — supplemented with accessories such as earrings, jewelry and bags.

It’s a mix of clothing that will change with the seasons, Murray said, but with one overriding theme — comfort.

“I thrive in comfortable clothing,” she said.

Murray started in the fashion industry working in the corporate offices at Maurice’s, leaving the company to work for a small boutique in West Bend, where she and her family live.

She had been thinking about opening a store when she saw a notice for the space on social media.

“I thought it would be perfect,” Murray said. “It’s small but comfortable with down to earth vibes.”

She reached out to Kelly Brown, owner of Locally Inspired and her landlord, and things moved fast from there, she said.

“Within 24 hours, we knew this was going to be,” Murray said. “We clicked really fast.”

Brown, she said, has become a mentor to her.

“Kelly’s amazing,” she said. “She helped me understand some of the business details I didn’t know about.

“As a small-business owner, that helped tremendously. I’m very grateful I found her.”

So she quit her job in West Bend and set up shop in Port, opening Lillian Casuals on Oct. 18.

The space is small, Murray said, but that’s a plus for her.

“Everybody’s got to start somewhere,” she said. “I think this is a good start.”

And a door that connects her shop with Locally Inspired is a plus, Murray said, noting customers can easily move between the spaces.

Port, she added, is an attractive community for a business like hers.

While Port has a couple other boutiques, Murray said they each have a different style. They don’t compete with one another, she said, they complement each other.

  “We all have different styles,” Murray said.

Murray is excited about the future. She just got her website up and running, and sees a time when she will expand beyond her space.

But for now, she said, “I think this is a good start.”