photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Berkley Sharp is pictured at the new Season Seven boutique in downtown Lawrence in late April 2023.

There’s a new women’s clothing boutique in downtown Lawrence that aims to create outfits from head to toe — and sometimes that means a cowboy hat for those heads.

Season Seven Boutique has opened recently at 714 Massachusetts Street. Co-owner Berkley Sharp said the store wants to meet the everyday clothing needs of customers, but it really has a desire to be the place people go for those special event outfits.

In fact, the store makes it part of its business to keep up on the local event calendars so that the shop can be sure to stock merchandise that fits with the event offerings in an area. Right now, that means attire for country music parties. The shop features a country girl section as the Kansas City Power & Light District gets ready to kick off its weekly country concert series known as Hot Country Nights, with runs throughout the summer.

“The more we get to know Lawrence, the more we will cater to what is going on here,” Sharp said.

Sharp and her mother/business partner, Amy Sharp, are just now getting acclimated to Lawrence. Season Seven got its start in Leavenworth about two years ago. That store remains in business, but the duo was eager to expand to Lawrence.

“We’re excited to be on busy Mass. Street,” Berkley Sharp said.

Sharp said the shop would become in tune with the various events around town — including the sorority scene — but also would host its own events. The Leavenworth store hosts “Sip and Shop” events that feature shopping and some beverages.

Providing an experience for shoppers is a big part of the boutique’s strategy.

“Some of this is really just an excuse for the ladies to get out of the house and step away from the stress of everyday life,” Sharp said.

The store carries a variety of tops, dresses, rompers, accessories, and shoes. But a big part of the store is its “Denim Bar,” and that is a spot where you find a whole lot of pants. The includes styles like joggers, loungers, cargo, cropped, skinny and others. Then there’s the colors — camel, cinnamon, moon mist, teal, taupe, toast, butter and jelly. (Actually, I made butter and jelly up, but what’s the use of having toast without butter and jelly?)

Sharp said the store also makes a point to routinely stock sizes small through 3X so that it can appeal to a variety of customers.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Country-themed merchandise is pictured at the Season Seven boutique in downtown Lawrence in late April 2023.

In other news and notes from around town:

• If you are going to have a cowboy hat, you might as well wear it to the Douglas County Fairgrounds. While there, you may notice some new constructions. Plans have been filed for the county construct a new 5,100 square foot maintenance building on the southern portion of the fairgrounds. The building is set to house equipment and staff for members of the fairground’s maintenance crew, according to the plans filed at Lawrence City Hall.

The project will be a bit south of the main parking area for Building 21, which is one of the main exhibition buildings at the fairgrounds. The building will be one of those pre-engineered metal buildings with overhead garage doors, sporting a very 4-H look of green and white, according to the filed plans.