On the surface, it may seem that Jessica Rife is in the business of selling clothes. But at the heart of it is a desire to empower and encourage women to recognize and embrace what makes them beautiful. Through locally-based Salt & Lavender Clothing, Jessica is filling women’s closets with pieces that are trend-forward and inspire confidence in the everyday.

Launched in 2024, Salt & Lavender Clothing was born from Jessica’s own journey of personal style discovery. For years, she struggled to find a style that reflected who she is, often resorting to business wear or athletic wear that didn’t speak to her lifestyle. Following the pandemic, she revamped her wardrobe but couldn’t find pieces in Ohio that resonated with her and met her quality standards. 

After vacationing in a beach town the summer of 2024, Jessica felt she had finally discovered a style that truly spoke to her, kicking off her journey to launching Salt & Lavender Clothing. Armed with a vision of offering affordable, fashion forward, and timeless clothing for women in their everyday lives, Jessica set out to curate collections that she adored and are versatile for various occasions. She also envisioned creating a space for seasonal pop-up events out of her home in Muirfield, offering women the opportunity to shop and connect with others in the community.  

True to her initial vision, Salt & Lavender Clothing is an online boutique that curates collections of quality apparel blending casual, feminine, and boho-inspired styles to mix and match. They also feature versatile essentials, such as dresses, skirts, shirts, jeans, and blazers, that complement any wardrobe and are designed to be worn again and again. Jessica also emphasizes delivering pieces that are not commonly found in big box retailers in the Columbus area. 

Apart from the boutique’s goal of empowering women’s confidence, its presence in the community also highlights the importance of shopping local. Not only does supporting small businesses keep money circulating within the local economy, it also creates opportunities and nourishes the growth of future entrepreneurs. The nature of Salt & Lavender Clothing being local also means it carries a smaller carbon footprint, as well as a more unique selection that represents a fresh perspective and attention to detail, always with the modern woman in mind.

It’s safe to say that Jessica has learned many valuable lessons in the process of building her business, especially since she jumped in with no experience. Most notably, she’s discovered it requires a balance of boldness, strategy, and adaptability. She’s learned to not let fear hold her back, to follow her instincts, to leverage technology that can sustain both short and long-term growth, to build relationships with others, to stay focused on her vision, and most importantly, to remember to have fun along the way. 

Though Salt & Lavender Clothing is a significant part of Jessica’s life, she also works full time as a Regional HR Manager and a mom. She shares two elementary-aged boys and a bunch of fur babies with her husband, Richard Rife, who owns Corazones Photography.

Launching her local boutique has given Jessica the gift of connection and community through everyday interactions with her customers, her seasonal pop-up events hosted in her home, as well as the constant pursuit of getting to know the needs and desires of her neighbors, who make up the boutique’s audience. Because of Jessica’s vision and courage to step into the unknown, the women in the community have been given the gift of empowerment and self discovery through style. 

For more info and inspo, you can visit www.saltandlavenderclothing.com and follow @saltandlavenderclothing on Instagram and Facebook.