Review: Adi & Soph

We all know I'm fashion hopeless. I know I've talked about it enough. But when I reconnected with a college friend on Facebook and he sent me a link to his wife's newly-launched online boutique, Adi & Soph, I knew I liked what I saw. This stuff is CUTE!

What's great for people like me, aside from the fact that this clothing is stylish and affordable, is the fact that they mention other items that will coordinate well with each piece.

Some of my current favorites are the Into the Blue Blouse



The 95% organic Very Green Blue Jean



And the Envy Me Tunic.



AND the ladies at Adi & Soph were kind enough to grace me with my very own Envy Me tunic! (I did not pay for it). I love the color and the fabric, and I think the scoop neckline is flattering.



I wanted to find out more about their business, so I interviewed them:

First, who ARE Adi & Soph?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph):



I grew up in Jamaica and moved to the United States in 1998 to attend college.

Adina (a.k.a Adi):



I’m from a warm tropical place, too. I came to the U.S. in ’96 to go to college.

Where did you go to college, and what did you study?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): Olivet college in Olivet Michigan for a BA in Communications and MSU for an MA also in Communications.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): Undergrad was in Computer Science & Sociology/Anthropology from Olivet College. I did my master’s in Telecommunications with a specialization in Digital Media Arts & Technology. I’m interested in and enjoy learning about different things.

How long have you been "into" fashion?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): I personally came into my own in terms of fashion in early 2001. I worked in retail for sometime between college and grad school and that’s when I really started paying attention to trends, fabrics, styling and fashion merchandising.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): I really don’t know how to answer that. I grew up with people around me who could identify the different types of chiffon! I’m not even close to being that good, but I can tell a quality fabric from a shoddy one. Trends are something that I feel. I’m a very visual person, so I pick up vibes from what I’m seeing in my environment. I love dresses, and I love to wear different types of tights. And I love to layer things. (I have to admit, I prefer the cooler seasons of spring and fall.) That’s not to say, I always dress “fashionable.” Most of the time, I can be found in jeans and a top. I guess, I now have to pay more attention to what I wear.

How do you know each other?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): We met at Olivet College. Adina was the first student I met when I got the campus actually.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): I just calculated, I can’t believe we’ve known each other for over 10 years!!

As for Adi & Soph, the business, when did you first come up with the idea, and how?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): Well we took a trip to Canada in the summer of 2009 and we checked out some boutiques. While browsing we appreciated the unique styles but the prices had us thinking twice about spending.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): We started talking about it on the drive back and sometime before crossing the border, we thought why not open our own store?

How long has it been a reality?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): we officially launched on January 10th 2010.

How would you describe it?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): We love that boutiques stock one of a kind pieces, what we do not love is the inaccessibility to someone with a limited budget. Our goal is to change that trend. We want everyone, regardless of budget to be able to look to us for unique and quality pieces. We are affordable and we are accessible.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): Adi & Soph is our way of bringing cute quality outfits to people at reasonable prices. It’s the type of store that we’ve always wanted to shop in, but couldn’t find anywhere. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that Sophie and I actually started and own this boutique. I hope we can give people what they want and I’m really thankful to have the opportunity to do this.

Is this a "side thing" or is it your main job? If not, what else do you do?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): This is a side thing. I work for an IT Staffing company.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): I’m a graphic designer. I work full-time at a university.

How has it been going so far?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): Things are going absolutely great.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): Fantastic! This is an amazing experience. It’s inspiring me to improve other parts of my life, too. I’m aiming for a more holistic lifestyle, one that’s balanced more towards things that make me joyful. And, I have to thank my friend Sophie for that.

How do you select the items you're going to sell, and where do you find them?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): The selection process is quite time consuming! We pick trends based on the season so we need to know ahead of time what we will sell. We work with various designers from various locations in the United States.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): We can’t really disclose trade secrets, can we? Actually, there are no secrets. We select things from various places. After the first round, we narrow down our options.

How would you describe your style?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): We are a combination of classic, modern and vintage inspired.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): Ditto.

How do you stay current on fashion?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): Fashion magazines J,

Adina (a.k.a Adi): That and, browsing photos from the fashion weeks.

Why should people visit Adi & Soph?

Sophia (a.k.a Soph): We have one of a kind pieces, we are affordable and we are more than happy to answer anyone’s question about our items if they submit via our website.

Adina (a.k.a Adi): We offer a very personalized experience. We’re small and we’re there. We personally answer all our customer’s questions. We handpick each of our items after a lot of thought. For example, before we buy a top for our inventory, we try to visualize how it will go with a pair of jeans or a skirt that might be already in one of our customer’s closet or how that top will work with some of our other pieces. We try to think whether the piece is versatile, whether it can be dressed up or down.

And yes, they wear their own clothes!

Visit Adi & Soph to find something adorable for yourself for this summer! Flat rate shipping is $7.99 during the month of March.