A new apparel store on The Commons is expanding shopping options for women’s clothing in downtown Ithaca. Adorn, owned by Ithaca native Maddie Spitznagel, opened March 6 and is the latest addition to the wave of new clothing stores located on The Commons.

What Adorn offers

Feel Goods Ithaca, which was previously located on Taughannock Boulevard, relocated to The Commons in February and Kingston-based Hamilton and Adams, geared more toward men’s clothing, will be opening its second location on The Commons this spring.

Adorn, 148 E. State St., targets a younger demographic and provides post-pandemic shoppers with an in-person experience. Spitznagel said her boutique, in a way, is trying to fill the gap that was created by the closure of Urban Outfitters in January 2025.

“I kind of wanted to add to the places to shop in Ithaca with something that is no longer available in the area,” Spitznagel said. “Where you can get something for any occasion, even towards that younger college demographic.”

Nan Roher, CEO of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said the boutique diversifies shopping local options and makes it more accessible.

“We’re specifically excited about Adorn because Maddie really draws a high school age group as well as a college age group of women, or people who are dressing as women, who don’t necessarily have locations for that other than some of the thrift shops, the vintage stores, or out on Route 13,” Roher said

Spitznagel ran Adorn on a pop-up model to build an initial audience and earn some income — traveling across Ithaca, Rochester and Cortland — before transitioning to a storefront. Spitznagel is the sole owner of Adorn and also the only employee.

“Pop-ups were not the dream,” Spitznagel said. “I had so much fun doing it, and I learned so much doing it. But the storefront was always the end goal.”

Motive for expanding clothing stores

Adorn opened during the same month that the final findings of the Ithaca Retail Study and Strategy were released.

The results of the study, which were announced by the City of Ithaca and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance on March 10, emphasize the growth of commercial districts like The Commons.

Roher said the opening of stores like Adorn is indicative of a broader trend that The Commons is trying to establish: offering shopping options for everyday essentials.

“Everybody has to dress themselves every day,” Roher said. “Through the retail study, a lot of people tell us that they did not have the ability to come to The Commons and buy the things they need for their everyday. Where do they go buy clothes?”

Roher said there are about 11 new stores on The Commons that have already opened or will be opening and that the Downtown Ithaca Alliance wants to offer resources like mini grants to small businesses. Spitznagel said she was waitlisted for the 2025 round of mini grant funding but applied for the 2026 round. Roher said the alliance worked with Spitznagel to schedule things like the ribbon cutting ceremony of her storefront.

“We worked with Maddie for several months to help her find the right space and make sure that she had what she needed to open, et cetera,” Roher said. “So, it’s really about helping to make sure that people have the information that they need.”

Spitznagel said one of her goals is to keep prices of items under $50 to cater to students and locals alike and is looking forward to the overall change on The Commons.

“​​I think that this is going to be a very exciting summer on The Commons with multiple stores opening up this spring,” Spitznagel said.