Charlotte native and fashion trend-setter Tameka Marsh opened her mobile fashion boutique, Dress Like a Girl, in 2015 to service Charlotte's booming fashionista population. It's like a food truck, but instead of burritos and quick Thai dishes, you'll find cutting-edge fashion. We were intrigued so we caught up with her to talk fashion and all things Queen City.
Tell us a little bit about the Charlotte fashion scene.
Charlotte’s fashion scene has a proper mix of everything, from traditional to chic, from ethnic to eclectic. I think a lot of Charlotte’s variety has to do with it being such a salad bowl of cultures, and I love it. I do wish, however, that people were more open to variety. For example, I feel that fashion in NoDa is seen as an anomaly in other parts of the city, but I absolutely love the freedom of NoDa’s style.
Why did you decide on Charlotte for your main area of business?
I live here and I love my city. It was a no-brainer.
Did the process, from the initial truck concept to a fully functional boutique, unfold like you thought it would?
General speaking, I’m not a planner—I’m more of a go-with-the-flow type. I had no idea of how any of this would play out, but I knew that I had two great-with-their-hands men in my life, my husband and my dad. The building-out process took several months longer than I thought it would, but it was all so worth it in the end.
On the local food trucks and restaurant scene:
I love food trucks! Though many of my events with my truck are alongside food trucks, I seek out food trucks even when I’m not working. ... I’ve become a food truck girl, so I don’t do restaurants much anymore; however, 131 Main is very good to me. On a more everyday and less-costly basis, there’s a Hawthorne’s Pizza near me and they never disappoint. There’s also the Chicken Box Cafe that has awesome soul food.
Where would you point travelers looking for a night on the town?
Uptown is always a go-to for a night on the town, whether it's hopping from place-to-place at the EpiCentre or doing dinner at Sports One.