Best of Akron: Best Upscale Boutique

The Grey Colt, just across the street from the clock tower in downtown Hudson, couldn’t be in a more perfect location for its carefully cultivated clientele. Voted by our readers as Best Upscale Boutique, it celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Owner Katie Coulton grew up in the shop known for traditional clothing with flair. The flair’s still there, but “we’ve gotten a little bit away from tradition,” she says.

In doing so, she has created a place where women of all ages can find something that suits them.

Dressing is a little trickier in the age of layering, Coulton says. Her store translates that trend in a way that works for more women. She encourages her customers to be open to what’s new. Jeggings (jean leggings) paired with boots and “the whole tunic thing,” which evolved to cover the gap between shorter tops and low-rise bottoms, are two recent examples.

Coulton buys directly from international and domestic designers to fill her store with unique finds each season. She looks for pieces that will last and that offer something different from what you’d find in a ‘corporate’ store.

“We know our customers,” Coulton says. “They cross ages, they like clothes and they like to look put together.”

At the same time, they like the comfortable, personal feel of a shop where long-term employees are like family. One employee, a new mom, brings her baby, Coco, into work with her and customers love it. “We try to make it fun,” Coulton says. —Jane Day