Nestled in a row of stores in downtown Homewood, the cheery window displays and feminine pink and black exterior of The Pink Tulip boutique are eye-catching.
Once you enter, there’s even more to see. Look in one direction, and you’ll find a wall of fashionable scarves. Glance in another and you’ll find a table of beautiful jewelry or a rack of lacy tops.
Owners Letty and Duff Algren opened The Pink Tulip in 1986 as a gift store in the southside of Birmingham. Eventually the store evolved into the lady’s clothing and accessories boutique that it is today.
“The logo was actually my mother’s handwriting,” Letty Algren says. “We put it together really fast, the whole business. She just kind of drew it out, and I still use that same logo today.”
Algren says the store carries casual wear and accessories that are intended for a variety of women.
“We don’t really have an age limit. We literally have customers that are 12 and 14, all the way up to 70,” Algren says.
She looks for trendy but conservative pieces for The Pink Tulip. She describes the boutique’s aesthetic
as “very ladylike.”
In addition to its stylish selection of merchandise, The Pink Tulip also offers a warm atmosphere. The store is filled with lively music and a welcoming staff called “wardrobe consultants.”
“A lot of stores you go into, people won’t even speak to you. You won’t find that here. You’ll be greeted just like you’re going into somebody’s home,” Algren says.
As for The Pink Tulip’s future, the boutique seems to be blooming. In March 2012, The Pink Tulip opened another location in Mountain Brook. Recently the boutique has worked toward growing its online presence with both a website and an active Facebook page.
Photos by Julie Matthews