Pretty Little Things — Local services in Portsmouth

DO NOT GO HERE! Racist Store Employees.

My friends from school were visiting my hometown (Portsmouth) and we were walking around, shopping, pursuing, and browsing different stores. We wanted to spend the day in Portsmouth, enjoying the town and the sites. We went into Pretty Little Thing, and we had a NIGHTMARISH experience. To give context, my friends are all POC, I was the only white person in the group. There were 6 of us. Two of my friends walked into PLTs first and were browsing in the store. There were 2 store employees in the store. They started staring at my friends and started following them around the store wherever they went. She (the blonde one specifically) was very unfriendly, staring and not saying "hello" or even offering a smile. From the get-go, the store employees seemed bothered by our presence.

My two friends started to get uncomfortable and were about to leave the store when the rest of the friend group (who didn't know this was going on) walked in to meet them in the store. We walked in, and again the same things started happening. The two employees were STARING at us. They then continued to follow me and my friends around the store, checking the racks and making it seem like they thought we were going to shoplift or mess things up... ridiculous. It was very clear that we, as a group, were absolutely not welcome in this store. The store employees made my friends feel incredibly uncomfortable and unwelcome in Portsmouth. They were extremely rude and, clearly, very racist.

I will NEVER go back to this store- which is a shame because I used to shop there quite often. I hope the store employees of this store do some deep reflection on their internal implicit biases. What a shame. Portsmouth is normally a very welcoming city where I enjoy bringing my friends and family... but, it should suffice to say, I no longer feel this way. Extremely disappointed in my city and its constituents....

Such a cute store, I wish I could buy everything in it. Sarah was super friendly and welcoming as soon as I walked in. I got a $10 grab bag at the door, opened it outside, then had to go back in for more! Sarah was so sweet and let me open them with her at the front to see what surprise was inside. Maddie was also very nice and friendly. They both gave off such positive energy that matched the whole vibe of the store. I will...

Super cute stuff, very well curated. Only reason I’m giving three stars is because of my incredible frustration when I tried on 6 dresses and none were long enough for me (I’m 5’10). None of dresses fit me, and most of their skirts don’t. Must be 5’8 or shorter to fit in most of their dresses or skirts! But very cute tops, pants, and accessories. Just wish they had super cute dresses long enough for...