According to Kensy Allbritton, a day trip to Brookhaven is one of the best small-town shopping experiences in the Gulf South. And being a fourth generation Brookhaven native and an LSU alum, she knows the drive from South Louisiana to the “Homeseeker’s Paradise” all too well.
“It’s such an easy drive, and it’s well worth the trouble,” she said. “Come for a weekend, or even just a day. Start in the morning and just work your way through town.”
Brookhaven’s historic downtown has seen a resurgence over the past ten years, filling up with an eclectic and high end community of more than thirty locally-owned shops and boutiques, offering everything from interior design consulting, to antiques, to women’s and children’s clothing, to—at Allbritton’s shop—menswear.
Celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year, The Well-Dressed Man was the result of Allbritton moving home, wanting to be part of the momentum in retail downtown, and paying attention to what was missing. “I wanted to offer something the town needed,” she said. When her dad found himself without a dress shirt for a wedding after a mix-up at the dry cleaners, and with no nearby place to go buy one, the gears clicked into place.
“It’s a great community to be a part of. We really do thrive and bank off of each other, and promote each other’s offerings." —Allbritton
Offering high end casual basics for men, with a personalized shopping experience, The Well-Dressed Man has become a staple for Brookhaven, and a favorite stop of visitors. “We want to make the shopping experience easy, above anything else,” Allbritton said. “We want our customers to feel welcomed and assisted in finding exactly what they came in looking for.”
This personalized approach to customer service also rings true down the street at Anna Mathis’s women’s boutique, For the Girls. “We really focus on making the shopping experience easy, enjoyable, and personal,” she said, describing the way she’s curated the shop into “collections” designed to meet customers’ specific needs. “One of my favorite collections was built around the concept of ‘cozy chaos'—the reality of busy lives but still wanting to look cute, like you have it together. Our customers loved it!” Other collections have featured women’s hunting wear, “The Getaway Edit” for vacations, and athletic wear to kick off the new year.
Girl's Shopping Day Brookhaven
Like Allbritton, Mathis’s shop came about in response to the community’s demand—though in a less planned sequence of events. In early 2020, she was working as a hairstylist, planning to fly out for an opportunity to work with an educator of a major hair brand, when the world shut down. “Everything changed,” she said. With her free time, she turned to her passion for embroidery and fashion design and began selling custom works to people in her community. Within six months of opening her storefront in downtown Brookhaven, offering clothing and accessories for women of every age and profession, she had to move to a larger space. “I’ll always be thankful for that canceled flight,” she said. “I’ve been incredibly lucky to grow alongside this community that I love.”
“It’s a great community to be a part of,” said Allbritton, who went on to say that a great deal of her foot traffic, especially when it comes to out-of-towners, comes from recommendations by other shop owners like Mathis down the way. “We really do thrive and bank off of each other, and promote each other’s offerings,” she said.
"You’ve got all of the great brands and quality of a big city, but with the slower pace and friendly faces of a small town.” — Allbritton
Just around the corner from The Well-Dressed Man, for instance, is J. Allan’s—an interior design and furniture store that has made its mark in homes and businesses across the Southeast. Wander through the showroom of specialty furniture, known for its classic style with a Southern spark, that earned the shop the title of “Best Furniture Store” by Mississippi Magazine just a few years ago.
If it’s a fresh summer wardrobe you’re hunting for, find all the locals’ interpretations of the latest trends, alongside tried and true classics at women’s boutiques like Mathis’s For the Girls, as well as Expectations Too, Three Sisters, and countless others. For the kids, step into Beyond the Rainbow, which for forty years has been offering an extensive collection of fine children’s clothing, accessories, toys, and collectibles.
And just down the road? Mississippi’s own local version of big box sporting stores like Academy or Dick’s—601 Sports. Find everything from athletic wear to hunting gear, curated by people from right around the corner and sold with the personalized hospitality only a true Mississippi shop can offer.
“Brookhaven can check so many boxes,” says Allbritton. “You can so easily spend the day here, hit all the spots, have a fabulous lunch at one of our many local restaurants, dinner at Betty’s. You’ve got all of the great brands and quality of a big city, but with the slower pace and friendly faces of a small town.”
Start planning your shopping excursion to Brookhaven at visitbrookhavenms.com.
