New Women's Boutique, Rose & Boom, Blossoms In Babylon

BABYLON, NY — Babylon just got way more fashionable.

Rose & Boom, a new women's clothing boutique, recently opened up its third location at 28 East Main Street this month.

Cat Rosenboom, a resident of Miller Place, first launched her business five years ago after working as an IT analyst at Mather Hospital.

"I always had a dream of opening my own store," she said. "So one day, I said to my husband, 'I'm just I'm going to quit and I'm going to open my own store.' And he was all for it."

Rosenboom then opened up her first location in Mount Sinai, naming the boutique 'Rose & Boom' as a play on words of her last name. With little experience in retail, Rosenboom said she learned how run a business from scratch. But through hard work, the boutique became so much of a success that Rosenboom opened a second location in St. James three years later.

Rosenboom said her stores provide everyday clothing which you can "throw on for work, but dress up for the weekend." With a wide range of styles and sizes, she said, there's something for everyone.

"Our demographic runs from someone's child who's 14 to someone who's 75," she said. "You can do everyday pieces and staple pieces that you'll have forever."

Rosenboom told Patch that she strives to give customers a friendly, supportive and "no judgment" experience in every location.

"People come in and say, 'Oh, I don't have makeup on.' And I'll say, 'I don't either,'" she said. "It's just relatable, easy, fun — no pressure."

When the pandemic hit, Rosenboom told Patch that she received many inquiries and orders from residents of the South Shore, Nassau County and Queens. After months of researching, she decided that Babylon would be the perfect place for a presence on the South Shore.

On November 13, Rosenboom — who is pregnant with her third child — held the boutique's grand opening, alongside the Babylon Chamber of Commerce.

Rosenboom said she is thrilled to be part of a community which cares about its residents and encourages people to shop small.

"I'm excited to be a part of the South Shore, a part of a village that really just celebrates small business and encourages people to shop small," she said. "You really are supporting a family instead of a big corporation."