“Round Top maintains a sense of nostalgia; it makes people feel like they’ve stepped back in time,” says Ginger “Mimi” Rettig. She and her husband Delwin have owned MimiBella Fine Linenwear Boutique for over ten years, first opening a shop in Bellville, Texas, and later in downtown Round Top. It was the sense of simplified living, the feeling that no part of this small town had been commercialized, that drew them here. And even as Round Top continues to grow and attract more visitors, Mimi says that the continued effort the town puts into maintaining its local history and sentimentality is invaluable to visitors and those who live in the town.

The idea for MimiBella began by accident – Mimi felt that she didn’t have anything to wear and didn’t really enjoy shopping. She loved to wear linen clothing, but it was hard to find. This spurred the opening of MimiBella Fine Linenwear Boutique in Bellville. When the store did well selling its clothing at the Antiques Show, Mimi and her husband shifted their focus to a store in Round Top.

Today, the store in Bybee Square offers quality and distinctive linenwear and a range of unique jewelry. MimiBella focuses on a “personal shopper” aspect of retail – when a customer comes into the store, they’ll do their best to choose an outfit, and order anything they don’t have in stock specifically for the customer. “What matters to us is whether or not you look great in it,” says Mimi.

As for Round Top, Mimi says that she and Delwin feel privileged to be a part of the Chamber of Commerce. “They’ve done a polished job of advertising Round Top as a place to spend the weekend, and they’re setting a good example for other towns in the area.”

For more about MimiBella, visit their website. To learn about Round Top Antiques Show shopping, visit exploreroundtop.com.