Blithe and Vine

Mississippi natives and cousins Liz Spratlin and Missy Massey purchased Cosmo Tots in the spring of 2009. By that fall, they were renovating a larger space and expanding to women's with the opening of Blithe and Vine. The combined space offers a unique perspective on clothing and accessories for both women and children.

For women, Liz and Missy look for wearable, current, chic pieces. They offer everyday essentials to help build a modern wardrobe as well as novelty pieces for a one-of-a-kind look. Their casual elegant aesthetic permeates the entire Blithe and Vine selection, which is edited again and again and again before it is narrowed down to the final pieces that will be shown and sold on the floor.

"Women don't want to see themselves coming and going at parties and in their busy daily lives," says Spratlin, an SMU grad, "so we look for unique pieces that we ourselves want to wear, and we buy small quantities for the store. This helps our clients attain their own personal style, mix new pieces with favorites already in their closets, and create an eclectic sensibility in their wardrobe."

The children's clothing is just plain fun. Durable play clothes with a sense of style, and dress-up pieces that, according to Ole Miss alum Massey, "make many of the moms say 'I wish they made that in my size!'" Always searching for the truly unique, many of the lines carried at Cosmo Tots can't be found anywhere else in the state. The owners' favorite line of graphic tees, for example, is created by them with the designer, making them truly one-of-a-kind.

Just over a year in the expanded space for Blithe and Vine & Cosmo Tots, the owners say the best compliments they receive are when clients tell them that this is their "new favorite store," and that "it's like nothing else in the area." And those compliments are solidified with their repeat business. "We're establishing wonderful relationships with so many smart and chic women. It's an honor to be a part of their closet!"