TRUE Gentlemen

For a lot of guys growing up, a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers were all they needed to get through the day. Then the next day, it was often rinse and repeat, with maybe a t-shirt of a different color. However, time marches on, and those guys tend to grow up. And with their maturity comes an interest in how they dress and whom they may want to impress.

Allison Pepper and Alicia Williamson, co-owners of the women’s boutique, TRUE, know this trend all too well.

“As we’ve opened our boutiques in Bryant and Benton, we’ve consistently heard, time and again, ‘Why don’t you open a men’s store?’ ‘Why don’t you carry men’s clothing?’” Pepper said. “Of course, you can’t just grab a few items for guys and stick them in a women’s boutique. That’s not what your customers are looking for, and it won’t get the response you want.

“But I think men do pay more attention to how they dress today than in the past,” she added. “As they get a little bit older or maybe see other options out there, they start paying a little more attention to how they dress and want to be seen. That’s completely fine. In fact, it’s great.”

Granted, there are some retailers carrying men’s clothing, but Allison and Alicia wanted to go a little bit further, offering their prospective male customers options they may not find anywhere else. So earlier this year, the duo opened their third Saline County shop with TRUE Gentlemen.

“In the six months we’ve been open, the store has continued morphing into something even bigger,” Pepper said. “We’re trying to fill a different niche for a type of customer who’d be more interested in casual sportswear and everyday clothing. Our idea was to outfit people from age 12 to 85.”

Pepper admits expanding from the women’s clothing market to menswear has come with its share of challenges, ranging from ordering items from vendors to the varying cost of men’s clothing compared to women’s. “It is so different choosing the types of men’s brands you’ll carry. Their clothing is much more expensive than women’s and the ordering process can be a bit confusing. But, once we get this down, things are going to be even better.”

But when it comes to the brands carried by TRUE Gentlemen, Pepper says she and Williamson took suggestions straight from their customers with expected mixed results.

“We carry brands we believe are geared toward someone who would shop in Saline County,” Pepper said. “We don’t go overboard offering things we know our customers won’t like, because we’ve listened to them from the very beginning. They’ve given us feedback on what they like and other things they may not be as drawn to, and we carry those lines that may work better here than in other parts of Arkansas.”

Along with sports and casual men’s wear, TRUE Gentlemen also carries formal rentals in partnership with Jim’s Formal Wear. “We do that for large events, weddings, homecoming and prom,” she said. “We also carry a line of sports coats and dress slacks for sale in our shop.”

Allison Pepper has lived in Saline County close to 20 years and calls the area home. Her family is heavily involved in the County’s success and growth. In addition to TRUE Gentlemen, she and Alicia own TRUE locations in Benton and Bryant.

“It means so much to us to be able to grow successful businesses here in Saline County,” she said. “I always wanted to open a business in downtown Benton, and we are so excited to be part of the continued growth in this area of the town.”

But Pepper hasn’t stopped there. Not only is she a growing entrepreneur in downtown Benton, she’s also a new homeowner. 

“I’m so excited about the opportunities here, I’ve actually bought a house in downtown Benton so I can be close to answer customer calls needing help,” she said. “Instead of being outside of town and having to drive in, I’m able to be right here to help fill their needs.”

TRUE Gentlemen is located at 817 W. South Street in Downtown Benton. TRUE also has female-based stores located at 104 West South St. in Benton (501.672.0706) and at 304 North Reynolds Road in Bryant (501.317.1711). Boutique hours are Monday–Friday 10a-6p, Saturday 10a-5p and Sunday 1-4p.