Have you ever walked into some place new, and immediately felt a wave of kindness, as if the entire place was smiling at you, and welcoming you? That is exactly how I felt the moment I stepped foot into a fresh boutique on the east side of Austin.

I was greeted not only with the warm and vibrant smile of owner Alta Alexander, but also by the beautiful environment she has created—starting with the bright, sunshine yellow and white awning outside. And the clothes? WOW, the clothes! (More on those in a bit).

Altatudes is celebrating their one-year anniversary this September (there’s a fun party October 6—details below) and, for owner Alta, the boutique is a childhood dream come true. The store location was as carefully curated as the clothes inside. She chose the historic east side of Austin, (in an area known as the “East 12th corridor”) because the revitalization of this cultural corridor is important to her. Alta is the first and only African-American to own an upscale womenswear boutique in Austin. She has, and hopes to continue to, positively contributed to the community, helping forge an emerging commercial district while helping others find and embrace their “tude.”

“Tude” is Alta’s word for style. And does this boutique serve it up. Altatudes features high-end women’s apparel and accessories from over 25 labels, including Alexander Michael Snyder (AMS), Black Halo, Rebecca Taylor, Laura Siegel, Tracy Reese and Austin designer Nina Means. Alta sources luxury goods and accessories from across the globe. Altatudes shoppers will find Lack of Color hats from Australia, Nita Siri handbags from Spain and Stine Goya shoes from Denmark, to name a few. All pieces are carefully and thoughtfully curated by Alta herself. And, get this—she carries no more than four of any piece, so that you will not see yourself coming and going!

I had a chance to not only spend time chatting it up with her (and that felt like I was “kicking it” with a long time girl friend, y’all), but also perusing the space and every piece, while we discussed fall trends. We even styled some outfits together in Alta’s Corner, a brass bellman cart where you’ll find featured looks of the moment. And of course, I had to try some goodies on myself!

Alta is as involved with her community as she is fashion. “We should give back,” says this welcome addition to Austin’s style scene.

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You’re Invited: RSVP here for Altatudes’ First Anniversary Celebration + Fashion Show

Saturday, October 6, 2018 | 1-2 pm Fashion show | 2-5pm DJ and shopping

Edith “Edie” Henry is one of Austin’s leading stylists and has spent the past 20 years honing her skills in fashion and design.