1. 20 Dalton Magazine ◆ MARCH/APRIL 2016
C
omedian Billy Crystal rocketed to stardom
in the mid-1980s with his“Saturday Night
Live”character Fernando lampooning the
late Latin actor Fernando Lamas. As
Fernando, Crystal would interview and
joke with celebrities. After telling them,
“You look marvelous,”he would pepper
his interview
with the phrase,“It is better
to look good than to feel
good.”
Miranda Bentley will prob-
ably never win an Emmy for comedy. But the young
entrepreneur who owns Cotton & Twine Boutique
women’s stores in Calhoun, Chattanooga and Dalton is
definitely catching the hearts and minds of area
women who love buy great clothing in a comfortable
setting.You see, when you shop at Cotton and Twine
Boutique, fun and fashion can co-exist as you can look
good — and feel good — when shopping for clothing
and accessories.
In a world where malls and merchandise can over-
whelm, Miranda creates a shopping experience that
blends a personal touch with high fashion and friend-
ly, superior service. Cotton & Twine gained its name
from the combined ideas of Miranda, her younger sis-
ter, Camellia, and their mother, Larissa.The store itself
has earned the trust of its cus-
tomers by offering unique fash-
ion in a setting that is relaxing,
nostalgic but always in step
with modern styles.
Kathy Mathis of Dalton is a customer who loves
Cotton & Twine’s“very unique items. I think it’s wel-
coming to different age groups.Teenage on up. I shop
here several times a month. Great customer service.
Everybody’s very friendly. Great selection.They’re
always getting new things in and they’re very helpful.
It’s something new, something different.”
Miranda and Larissa opened Cotton & Twine
Story by Jeff Rancudo

2. Dalton Magazine ◆ MARCH/APRIL 2016 21
Miranda Brantley owns
Cotton & Twine Boutique women’s stores in
Calhoun, Chattanooga and Dalton.
The stores are definitely catching the hearts
and minds of area women who love buy
great clothing in a comfortable setting.
PhotobyMattHamilton

3. 22 Dalton Magazine ◆ MARCH/APRIL 2016
First Bank of Dalton®
‘Your Bank for Life’
www.firstbankofdalton.com
118 N. Hamilton St
(706) 226-5377
2518 Cleveland Hwy
(706) 876-5377
785 Shugart Road
(706) 259-4186
3075 E. Walnut Ave
(706) 370-4186
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women@work
Boutique in March 2012 in a small shop below the
Waugh Street bridge in Dalton. A year and a half later,
Miranda found a larger location around the corner at
305 N. Hamilton St. In the years since, she has updat-
ed it with her unique style that blends old fashioned
country with a casual chic but trendy feel. Cotton &
Twine also expanded with a store in downtown
Calhoun and another in downtown Chattanooga,
each with their own unique look.
“We wanted something Southern but also edgy.
Kind of a Bohemian-type feel,”said Miranda, recalling
the early days of the business.“I felt like there was a
need there.We have affordable pieces but good qual-
ity. I’m always researching new fashions.We serve a
lot of women who have their own money.Women
love to shop. Sometimes, they just come in to visit.”
Life is good for Miranda, 26, and her husband,
Andrew, once middle school sweethearts who went
separate ways but later reconnected and married in
2015. Andrew works in the music industry and plays
with his brother,Trey, in a band called The Van Lears.
Miranda and Andrew live in a suburb of Nashville,
which the couple says is a good compromise for
Andrew’s music career and Miranda’s need to be
owner, buyer and creative director for Cotton &
Twine. Camellia manages the Chattanooga store and
Baleigh Coley manages the Calhoun and Dalton loca-
tions. Some weeks, Miranda is buying clothes in Las
Vegas. Other times, she visits New York City for
Fashion Week.
“We’re always changing. Changing inventory.
Changing the look,”said Miranda.“We’re putting in a
larger seating area soon. I like to go to flea markets
and do local antiquing to help decorate the store.
Women want to express themselves through their
clothes.Workout clothes, clothes for going out or
clothes to go to work.”
Besides stocking jewelry, Miranda sells cards and
candles. She also offers area rugs from American
Dakota in Dalton. Running three stores can be a 24/7
job even for a young, energetic owner. But if Bentley
ever needs inspiration, she can look to her mother,
Larissa, who began battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma
around the same time the larger Dalton store
opened.With Larissa’s treatments in Atlanta coincid-
ing with Cotton & Twine’s growth, Miranda put her
family’s needs first and leaned on her employees
who came through with flare in her absence.
“2014 was a recovering year for our family,”said
Miranda.“If the store didn’t have great employees, we
wouldn’t be where we are.We just decided there was
definitely a purpose in this happening to us.We put
our trust in our people.This store is like our baby. A
lot of people are Negative Nancy about competition
among women’s clothing stores. But I wish we would
lift each other up. It’s OK for all of us to do well.”
Through Miranda’s challenges, she and her
employees have been thankful for each other.“She is

4. Dalton Magazine ◆ MARCH/APRIL 2016 23
054000205757
awesome,”said Coley of her boss.“She’s
become one of my friends. She and her
whole family are real good people. And
you can tell by the way that she runs her
business. She wants everyone to be
happy.You can tell by the way that she
orders the clothes; every customer is
always satisfied and happy. She likes that
and that’s what she strives for.”
“I think (the clothing) fits any age
group,”added Coley.“We have high
schoolers who come in here.We have
college students. And then we have cus-
tomers ranging from 30 to 60 or 70.The
majority of the time they find something
for themselves or something as a gift for
someone in their family. It’s really a wide
range of stuff for everybody. (Miranda)
tries to pick out something for every-
body.”
Miranda grew up in Calhoun, the
daughter of two educators. Despite
being raised in a small town, she said she
“wanted to do everything”and has since
visited 21 countries. Miranda has loved
fashion since she was very young and
used to dress up her Barbie in
toilet paper.
“When I was in middle
school, I used to go the mall,
look the mannequins and say,
‘I can do a lot better than
that,’”said Miranda.“It’s not
about money for me. It’s more
about providing a happy
place for women. I’m big into
seeing what’s ahead.”
Miranda graduated from
Dalton’s Christian Heritage
School in 2008 and attended
Berry College, but at Berry
decided business and French
didn’t interest her.
“Something wasn’t con-
necting,”she said.“Fashion hit
me.”
So she transferred to the
University of Georgia and
eventually graduated with a
degree in fashion merchandis-
ing.While at UGA, she even
helped open a boutique
called The Cheeky Peach.
Customers, vendors and
employees agree that
Miranda’s Cotton & Twine
stores have found a niche in
Northwest Georgia and
should prosper for a long
time. Jill Massey, who owns Jill
Massey Couture Jewelry in
Atlanta, loves offering her
products at Cotton & Twine
Boutiques.
“Her product offerings are
hip and cool but classic pieces
offered at excellent price
points,”Massey said of Miranda.“She’s
real good at predicting upcoming fash-
ion. It’s mind-blowing how quickly her
stores have grown. But she hasn’t lost a
bit of her down-to-earth style.”
Photos by Matt Hamilton
Cotton & Twine
owner Miranda
Brantley checks out
the inventory of her
Dalton location.