Our story starts a little differently than most women’s boutiques. Not many would guess - our boutique started first as a men’s clothing store! In 2000, John Brady saw the need in his rural community for an on-trend clothing store for men and opened Urban Outlet Inc. in a humble storefront in downtown Sterling, Illinois. As popularity grew, John was able to expand his store and moved into the local mall. With the continued success of the men’s store, John saw the opportunity to grow and in 2007 opened a second clothing store for women. As the businesses grew, John assembled a motivated team to carry the success of his stores. In 2010 with the success of both businesses, the team decided to combine the stores and move to a 6800 sq. foot store they called UOI. As the business continued to be prosperous, in 2012 the team took a leap of faith and created uoionline.com and the website grew beyond their expectations. With the immediate success of the online expansion, UOI bought a building in downtown Sterling centered around many small town businesses. As the demand for women’s clothing was on the rise, UOI decided to shift their focus to sell women’s clothing and accessories exclusively. After eliminating the men’s clothing line, John named the new store UOI Boutique. Since, we have seen tremendous growth and are excited to forge the way for many other small businesses to do the same. From the beginning, it was important for us to be active in our small town community. We love the opportunity to support and promote other small businesses in a gathered effort to make our community great! Throughout the year, UOI works with many other local businesses to host store events. To see our next event, please visit our Facebook (we would love to shop with you). Although UOI started as a men’s store, we have always believed in the powerful way clothing can impact others for good. As a women's boutique, we are committed to encouraging and inspiring women to be the best woman she can be. UOI’s mission is to empower women’s individualism and confidence through hand-selected styles. Whether you are an on-the-go woman or a happy homebody, we can fill your wardrobe with pieces that give you the confidence to take on your world. From us to you, we hope you take on the world with bold confidence (and style)!