Anana’s Boutique goes ‘back to its roots’

The change from selling purchased clothing to her own creations is an effort to compete locally.

‘... I’m turning my shop into a sewing shop again, the way I started originally, custom-making clothing from swimwear to wedding gowns.’

— HEIDI McLENNON

“Christmas was a shock for me downtown because I’m used to having okay Christmases forever, but this Christmas was completely flat,” she said. “I was shocked.

“But I’m turning my shop into a sewing shop again, the way I started originally, custom-making clothing from swimwear to wedding gowns.”

McLennon opened Anana’s Boutique in Hood River in 1991, originally starting the business in Maui in 1988. (“Ananas” means “pineapple” — in nearly every language but English.) She started by sewing suits for windsurfers inspired by her Finnish heritage — she’s originally from Lapland — and is bringing that back in a line of cozy pullovers.

She also makes everything from yoga pants to wedding gowns, all available in the shop.

McLennon’s clothing “is very feminine,” she said, and ranges from little girls’ to women’s sizes.

She’s become a one-stop wedding shop for people in the Portland, Vancouver and Goldendale areas, offering bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, flower girl dresses, mother-of-the-bride dresses and tuxedo rentals.

(As an added bonus, alterations are included in the price of the tuxedo rental. “We will make it perfect,” she promises.)

She has several handmade gowns on the floor now that are “excellent for beach weddings,” she said. “A lot of brides want to go to Hawaii or the coast and want more casual wedding gowns … I have some on the floor right now ready to go to Hawaii or Barbados.”

Another plus with her gowns: “Ladies here are very often active women, and the dresses I make are easy to bring along (on a trip),” she said. “They don’t wrinkle and can be packed in a suitcase.”

Her flower girl dresses are created to be worn again — and she hears all the time about her dresses being passed down from generation to generation, or how kids who receive their dresses at two are still wearing them at five.

“I make them to grow with the body,” she explained. “They get a lot of wear.”

McLennon also offers alterations — a “major part” of her business model — on any item, men’s or women’s, excluding leather.

“I’m totally going full boar with alterations and making my own inventory again — then I can compete a little bit,” she said.

She advocates fixing up instead of throwing away clothing — replacing a zipper on a jacket, or mending pants instead of sending them to a landfill — the fix generally less expensive than buying a new garment.

Another of her niches is helping “anyone who is transgender,” she said. “I had a customer from Bend just coming out and figuring out what she wants. I made her some really pretty outfits.

“It’s a great service I do because they’re shy and don’t want to go out in public and talk about it,” she explained.

Anana’s Boutique is located at 206 Oak St., downtown Hood River. For more information, call 541-386-1116 or visit ananas-boutique.com.