ROCKLAND—A new women's boutique, Salt & Moss, opened June 1 at 369 Main Street. Originally hailing from Texas, owner Cara Hersey said she thought Rockland needed an affordable place for women to shop.

"You can either spend $100 on a top in town, or go to Walmart or T.J. Maxx," she said. "I wanted a place that felt good, like when you walked in you were treating yourself, but not spending your whole paycheck."

Salt & Moss offers not only clothing, but also accessories, shoes, sunglasses, hats, and jewelry.

Style-wise, Hersey said it there is a, "youthful, but mature" vibe to the shop.

"There are a lot of women my age, 40, who don't know how to dress for their body shape anymore," she said. "Our bodies have changed; many of us have spent the last 20 years in leggings and T-shirts. So, I'm really going for age- appropriate, but going for things that are trending."

Hersey said every month the store will drop a new collection.

"We started the store with 'soft coastal,' which are pale greens, pinks, neutral tones, and that sold like crazy, so I brought in my Fourth of July collection early," she said.

This week, the store features sweaters, hats, and shirts with American themes along with leopard prints, because as Hersey said, "I had to throw a little fun in there with the red, white, and blue." 

Hersey said she wants the store to appeal to both tourists and locals. But mostly, she wants women to bring out their best look.

"I think women don't realize how beautiful they are," she said. "My favorite thing to do is bring them a smaller size and say, 'Do me a favor, try this on.' And when the clothing hugs in all the right places, they come out, see themselves in the mirror and say, 'Oh my God! I look so good right now!' It's incredible to see that." 

In her first month, she said women of all ages have come in and felt comfortable enough in her store to open up in conversation.

"It almost feels like being a hairdresser," she said. "Last week, I had a woman confide to me she was dealing with some struggles in her life and I've also had women come in and joke around, venting about their husbands on vacation and how they are about to kill them all," she said laughing. "If you want to come to my store and vent, I'm like, 'Oh my God, girl, I know!'" 

Hersey said while she projects an open, friendly vibe in the store, she also reads the room when someone just wants some time alone. 

"If you want a quiet, peaceful, keep-to-yourself shopping experience, I really try to read that," she said. 

For more information on the store, visit its Facebook page. 

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com