‘It Feels Like a Dream’: The Fitting Room on Main Brings Boutique Warmth To Smithtown

SMITHTOWN, NY — What began as a casual phone call between two friends has turned into Smithtown’s newest small-business success story. The Fitting Room on Main — a women’s boutique and bridal alterations studio located at 118 West Main Street — opened less than two weeks ago, and owners Julita Mikolajuk and Melanie Karuschkat — both Smithtown moms — say the community response has been overwhelming.

The shop sits directly across from Town Hall, and its warm aesthetic, curated clothing, and unique mix of services have already made it, as one local shopper told them, “the talk of the town.” The support has exceeded anything they imagined when they first considered going into business together.

“We were only on day 11, and people were already telling us how much Smithtown needed a place like this,” Karuschkat said. “They comment on the décor, the vibe, the clothes. They say it just feels good in here. I'm loving it. It really feels like a dream."

The boutique’s layout helps create that warm atmosphere — a front retail floor arranged with clothing, jewelry and gifts; a raised platform for fittings; and a private alterations area tucked behind it. When the pair first toured the space during renovations, they knew immediately it had the right structure for the concept they’d been quietly building.

Mikolajuk and Karuschkat, both 47, have known each other for a decade. Their husbands, both NYPD, met first and introduced them. Over the years, each woman carried her own long-held idea for a business — ideas that, at the time, seemed far-fetched but never faded.

For Mikolajuk, it was inevitable that bridal work would be part of her future.

“I’ve done bridal for 26 years,” she said. “It’s all I’ve ever done. I always knew my next chapter would include it somehow, but I was afraid to take the leap.”

Karuschkat, meanwhile, felt herself being pulled toward a second career that tapped into her creativity, something her decades in pediatric physical therapy didn’t always allow. “I still loved my job, but I felt burnt out,” she said. “I wanted something that made people feel good in a different way.”

A small online boutique Mikolajuk launched last year unexpectedly became the spark. Friends loved the selection; home pop-ups drew crowds; and Karuschkat saw firsthand how hungry local shoppers were for something new. Then one day, she spotted a “For Rent” sign on a newly renovated building on Main Street — a moment she described as “the sign we didn’t know we were waiting for.”

What followed was a spontaneous phone call, some quick research, and a decision that felt surprisingly easy. “We just kept taking action,” Karuschkat said. “It started as a conversation and became real almost immediately.”

While the boutique carries an array of sweaters, satin pieces, handbags, candles, and jewelry, including a coveted line from Melinda Maria, the alterations studio has already positioned the business to fill a growing demand.

“So many bridal stores stopped doing alterations after the pandemic,” Mikolajuk said. “Brides and bridesmaids are desperate for a place to go. I knew how needed this was.”

That expertise is already drawing customers — the veils they recently sourced from a Polish designer that Mikolajuk discovered through friends overseas. Recent customers have ranged from teens to women in their 80s.

“We never want anyone coming in to feel intimidated,” Mikolajuk said. “We have a wide range of prices. Earrings range from $16 and pieces under $100, to a little bit more expensive but also special things. We want it to be about quality, atmosphere, and fun.”

Some of the most touching moments since opening haven’t involved transactions at all. One woman who could not visit yet placed an online order simply to support them, prompting Mikolajuk and Karuschkat to hand-deliver the items themselves. Another shopper called to say her family discussed the boutique around the Thanksgiving table.

“That kind of thing just stops you in your tracks,” Karuschkat said. “It really has felt like a dream.”

Their momentum received an early boost when Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim and Councilman Tom Lohmann visited the shop to present them with an official certificate of welcome.

The boutique’s first community initiative unfolded Wednesday evening, when the owners hosted a 20-percent-off event during the Smithtown tree lighting and donated 10 percent of all sales to the Paige Elizabeth Keely Foundation, which supports AVM (arteriovenous malformation) research and early detection.

“It felt so good to contribute,” Mikolajuk said. “We’re givers — we want giving back to be part of our culture from the beginning.”

Their calendar is already filling with creative ideas. The owners are currently building a website and plan to offer online shopping in the coming months. Private shopping parties are underway, complete with appetizers, bubbly, and after-hours access.

The boutique has started a wish-list system so partners can pick up items loved ones have pre-selected. Teen workshops, jewelry-making events, custom gift boxes, and more collaborations are all on the horizon.

“We have a million ideas,” Karuschkat said. “But the heart of it is simple — a place where people feel good.”

“We’re aware of how much work goes into this, but we’re equally aware of how blessed we are,” Karuschkat said. “The recognition, the support, the community… we’re just grateful.”

Her business partner feels the same.

“Every day, it feels unreal in the best way,” Mikolajuk said. “We look around and think, this is ours.”

The Fitting Room on Main

• 118 West Main Street, Smithtown
• (631) 780-5213
• Instagram: @thefitting.roomny
• Facebook: The Fitting Room on Main