There were a lot of reasons that showed Dana Dewhurst was meant to move her clothing store to Mercer Island. The store, Hip Zephyr, opened on Mercer Island on Tuesday, June 18, in the location where What to Wear was.

Dewhurst, who used to live on Mercer Island, frequents Cindy’s Nails, directly next to What to Wear. Over her years as a customer at the salon, the technicians came to know Dewhurst as a business owner who was looking for the right space on Mercer Island to move the shop into. Just a day after Mia Kammerer announced she was retiring and closing What to Wear, Dewhurst stopped in to get her nails done, and just like that, she had a new location.

Dewhurst opened Hip Zephyr in Phinney Ridge in 2006 and had been toying with the idea of a bigger space — the first location was just 350 square feet.

“We’re moving over here, and it’s giving us a chance to reorganize and expand,” she said. The new space is about three or four times larger, she explained.

Dewhurst said they hope to fill some of the void left by What to Wear’s closing, offering some of the same lines, but still with a unique touch.

“We’re excited to bring dresses and cool unique jewelry to the Island,” she said. “It’s keeping with the same things that people wear, but something unique so it’s not all just the same. What we bring is something I think people on the Island will like. It’s not stuff you see all over Seattle.”

Dewhurst said she’s interested to see what sells on Mercer Island compared to Phinney Ridge, where dresses and jewelry were big items.

The store will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The store will be closed on Mondays.

Dewhurst classified Tuesday’s start as a soft opening, likely with a bigger grand opening planned for later on.

The owner said most of her clients are in the 30-60 age range, but really for anyone looking for something that fits with the typical Seattle fashion sense, but with a unique flair.

“Everything always has to be special,” she said. “Now that we’ll have a larger space we can have more variety, but I don’t want the clothes to feel average. Easy pieces that are easy to wear. It’s Seattle style — that still being us, but kicked up.”

Another thing that sets the store apart from others, Dewhurst said, is the customer service.

“I love helping people figure out how clothes work for them, knowing what fits and why it fits the way it does,” she said. “I like knowing we can put smiles on their faces and help them feel good.”

To learn more about the store, visit www.hipzephyr.com.