From the spare bedroom in her parents house to a full fledged business, Covington native Haley Ellis is bringing her dreams to reality.

Ellis is the founder of Worthy Clothing Co., a boutique right here in downtown Covington that sells women’s clothing, shoes and accessories.

The store is filled with modern, trendy clothes, but with a particular feel and style that caters to a multitude of fashion styles.

One thing that stands out upon entering the store is a bright sign behind the counter that says “Flawed & Still Worthy.” This motto is especially important to Ellis, signifying the meaning behind the entire business.

“I have ‘Flawed and Still Worthy’ [as the slogan] because everyone has flaws which means you’re not less worthy of anything,” Ellis said. “I want [people] to have a positive outlook on boutiques and be very welcoming [to everyone].”

Ellis is a lifelong resident of Covington, graduating from Eastside High School in 2020. With a passion for fashion and the backing of a solid support system, Ellis decided to follow her dream and opened Worthy in 2021.

After months of online sales only, the business took a leap forward when Worthy moved into its first physical location in downtown Madison. 

This experience was a bit daunting for Ellis – who was just 20 years old at the time – but a rewarding one that taught her how to properly run a business.

“It was pretty wild because I am so young so I was having to figure out how to do everything and run a business at the same time,” Ellis said. “But without the help of my mom I really wouldn’t have been able to do everything because she is a business woman and with her leadership it’s really helped me become a good boss and help my store become successful. It was hard but with a lot of work, it was good.”

Worthy remained in Madison for just over a year, gaining experience and mastering how to run a boutique of her own.

But for Ellis, Madison did not feel like home. That feeling only resided in Covington.

“I just didn’t feel like that [Madison] was home because I wanted my hometown [Covington] to be my home,” Ellis said.

On Oct. 26, Worthy made the official announcement that the store would be leaving the Madison location and moving to Covington. 

Within weeks, Ellis and her team moved the store at a rapid pace, opening for the first time at the Lighting of the Square event on Nov. 16.

Now with a team of three other employees, the store is open for all patrons to come.

Worthy will have its “grand re-opening party” on Friday Dec. 8 from 4:30-7 p.m. at 1108 Clark St. Refreshments, giveaways, discounts and more will be offered at the event.

As a business owner in her hometown, Ellis is looking forward to the support that will come from being back home as opposed to anywhere else.

“I have a good support system in Covington… a hometown feel.” Ellis said. “Covington really wants to give back to the people who open stores and run businesses.”