A 20-Year Habit: Southie Boutique Celebrating Two Decades in South Boston
They say it takes anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a habit…Well, how about a habit that has lasted 20 years?
Last month, Southie’s long-standing clothing boutique Habit celebrated two decades of keeping residents up to date on the latest styles and trends.
Ever since her early childhood days of playing “store” at home with random household items and closet finds, Pam Santorelli knew she was destined to open up an actual shop of her own one day.
Her passion for fashion sparked her initial dream of becoming a fashion designer. But she soon realized that while she wouldn’t be good at actually designing the clothes, she would be great at designing a store filled with them.
WINDOW SHOPPING
In 2006 she was living in Southie and working in fashion retail when two of her friends, the owners of The Playwright, pushed her to see what was right in front of her face (and right down the street) – a vacant storefront.
“When you buy a car, or you buy a home, and you walk in and you know that this is the space that you’re meant to be in…This [was] it,” She said when thinking back to seeing the store for the first time.
After years of working in the industry, it was time for Santorelli to dress her own mannequins, decorate her own windows and fill the racks with clothing she felt the community would connect with.
When brainstorming a name for the store, she and her then business partner wanted it to be easy to read, easy to pronounce, short and sweet.
The name Habit got thrown into the mix because of its definition in both English and French. Her business partner had lived in Paris for a while and in French, habit means clothes. Santorelli liked the play on having a shopping habit and making it a habit to stop by the store.
It’s safe to say that plenty of people have added the shop into their weekly errand runs.
Recently, Habit underwent some cosmetic lifts and it was temporarily closed for renovation. Santorelli was outside the store talking to a friend when she saw a girl walk up to the store door with purpose (clearly on the hunt for something specific) see the closed sign and say “Oh no!”
After providing some reassurance that the store would indeed reopen soon, in that moment where Santorelli seemingly lost business, she felt nothing but pride. She realized that if she ever closed, people would be upset. It’s taken time, but she has embedded herself in the community and built a network of loyal residents who come to her for their fashion needs.
TWENTY YEARS OF COMMUNITY
Over the years, the most loyal customer Santorelli has found is the neighborhood itself.
None of her success would have been possible without the community around her.
Even though she lives in Quincy now, Southie was her home for 22 years.
“Before I even opened the store, I felt super comfortable moving into South Boston,” Santorelli said. “People say hello, people greet you, people welcome you. I just felt like this was where I should be.”
She feels a sense of support coming from all over Southie that is unlike anywhere else. Whether it’s fellow business owners or customers popping in to shop small, she says the neighborhood feels like family.
“With the small business community, it’s like we are all in it together. Everyone supports each other. Everyone knows each other. We want everyone else to do well.”
Santorelli extends that sentiment to local artists as well, who she often collaborates with and sells their work in her store.
Similar to her original feeling of not being able to design clothes but wanting to create a space to highlight them, she said “I’m a creative person, but I’m not an artist. I love seeing all of these amazing artist vendors and I respect what they’re doing.”
If you are a local New England artist and want to showcase your items in Habit, you can send Santorelli an Instagram message or an email to [email protected].
MAKE HABIT YOUR HABIT
Located at 703 East Broadway, Habit is open 7 days a week. Hours: Monday and Tuesday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday-Friday 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM, Saturday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and Sunday 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
So, find some time to add a new habit to your routine and pop into Habit to see what Santorelli has in store for you…literally.
Megan Klein is a freelance writer and Boston University graduate who currently works for the Boston Celtics. She loves making small world connections when meeting new people, trying new restaurants and capturing the life of Boston locals through her writing.
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