A Wild West Welcome: Shaylyne Mitchell

At Wild West Boutique on Grand Junction’s Main Street, you’re guaranteed a warm welcome. Whether it’s from the shop’s owner, 18-year-old Shaylyne Mitchell, or one of her two four-legged helpers, you’re sure to get a friendly smile or an enthusiastic tail wag.

“It’s so nice having the dogs in there,” she laughs. “I feel like it gives it a different vibe. A lot of places around here don’t allow dogs, but people seem to love having them here, and of course, they love the attention.”

This surprising atmosphere is exactly what Mitchell is going for in Wild West Boutique, the stylish, modern, western-focused clothing and accessory store she opened last year. In fact, it’s the whole reason the shop opened in the first place.

The boutique stands out not only on Main Street, but in Grand Junction as a whole. “I couldn’t find what I was looking for at Murdoch’s or Boot Barn or the other boutiques here in town,” she explains. “I wanted something different.”

So, Mitchell spent time carefully researching business models and plans, crowdsourcing opinions from family and friends, curating items to stock and preparing to open Wild West Boutique.

Of course, the universe had other plans, and nearly all of this happened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was stressful,” Mitchell admits. “I wasn’t sure whether to do mobile or storefront and just how everything was going to work out with a lot of places not being open.”

However, Mitchell is no stranger to putting her determined character and creativity to work when difficult circumstances arise, especially as a teenager.

“I wasn’t really a kid who liked school,” Mitchell explains. “I was bullied and was just ready to get out of there.” She utilized an early graduation program to bid farewell to Fruita Monument High School a year early and enrolled in cosmetology school.

Photos courtesy of Shaylyne Mitchell

Although this didn’t lead to a career in cosmetology, it resulted in an introduction to her best friend and business partner, who helps in not only running the store but keeping Mitchell composed in the stress of owning and running a business.

“Some days I’ll just look at her and start yelling about something, and she’ll bring me back down,” Mitchell laughs. “She’ll just say ‘Hey, what’s really going on here?’ and help me solve the problem.”

Mitchell hopes to eventually open up more locations around Colorado or, even sooner, add a mobile store in the form of a trailer that travels to places like rodeos. “I’d love to take the boutique to the Rifle Rendezvous this year,” she says, and hints at possible future appearances at Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas. “I really want to get my name out in the world.”

Until then, Mitchell and her dogs are happy on Main Street and welcome all who wander in. “I just hope everyone leaves with a good, positive feeling and that they’ve seen something that’s different than everything else,” she says.

Originally published in the Summer 2022 issue of Spoke+Blossom.