New boutique in downtown Macon wants to make women ‘feel beautiful inside and out’

When Rhonda Armstrong moved to Warner Robins with her family, she started selling the jewelry she made online and at popup shows.

Customers were so interested in her products that they started asking about the clothes on the mannequins they modeled the jewelry on, so Armstrong decided to expand the business to a clothing boutique, she said.

“We just took a leap of faith and came and got our own store down here so it’s been great,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong held the grand opening BirdSong Boutique in downtown Macon in early March.

She chose to open the store at 482 First St. because as a former history teacher, she loved the history of downtown Macon and how the area has improved in the past few years.

“There’s a lot of action, and it’s up and coming, and it’s being built back up and restored and there’s a buzz here,” she said. “There’s a lot of culture and a lot of opportunity. We just like the atmosphere here.”

The store is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 12-5 p.m. Sunday, according to its website.

‘You are beautiful’

When choosing clothes to put in the store, Armstrong said they have several women from all age groups pick out the clothing, and they feature sizes from small to 3XL.

During the popups they held before opening a storefront, Armstrong said she repeatedly heard from plus-sized women how hard it is to shop in boutiques and how having a plus sized section made them feel singled out.

“We are just really focused on trying to make every woman know that she’s beautiful. We already see that in women as they come through,” she said.

Women are constantly criticizing themselves and their bodies, Armstrong said, and the mission of BirdSong is to stop those feelings.

“We just want to embrace that mission and goal and just stop that or combat that and get it in everyone’s head that you are beautiful just the way you are and embrace your body and we are here to help you do that,” she said.

Grace Todd started working at BirdSong in April, and she said she loves the store’s mission to make every woman feel beautiful.

“Sometimes people come in, and they’re kind of self-deprecating, but once they try on a good outfit and they feel good in it, they just light up and they just know that that’s the one,” she said.

Todd said she loves working at the boutique because she loves her boss and she loves working with clothes.

“I love the style of the store, and I also love the mission, like Rhonda just said, wanting to make every woman feel beautiful,” she said. “I feel like that kind of gets forgotten in the fashion world sometimes. It’s all about being trending or trying to stay up with styles, but I think what fashion really is is, for the wearer, making that person feel beautiful inside and out.”

This story was originally published May 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.