Popular Fort Worth Women's Clothing Store Entrepreneurs Talk Exciting New Brands and Holiday Specials

Popular Fort Worth Women's Clothing Store Entrepreneurs Talk Exciting New Brands and Holiday Specials - PaperCity Magazine

Posted: 11 Dec 2019 10:19 AM PST

Nine years ago, two friends opened a pop-up women's clothing shop that offered a well-curated mix of styles. Fort Worth has fully embraced You Are Here as a true shopping destination, as the store opened its first brick and mortar store just off of Camp Bowie at 5109 Pershing Avenue.

The two entrepreneurs behind the store, Anne Walker Miller and Joanna Bennett, met through an exercise class and immediately became close friends. Miller and Bennett had previously owned and operated children's clothing lines — Miller for girls and Bennett for boys — because they couldn't find what they were looking for for their own children.

As their friendship and partnership grew, they sought to fill a gap missing from Fort Worth's shopping landscape. So, in 2011, the two decided to open a pop-up shop. Eventually, scheduling for the pop-up got tricky so Miller and Bennett decided to take the plunge by opening a small, permanent store a small store in The Village at Camp Bowie. You Are Here continued to grow and so the necessity for a larger shop became apparent.

The luxurious women's boutique is known for offering a myriad of high quality brands and styles to appeal to the masses.

"Fort Worth is truly such a great town," Bennett tells PaperCity. "We have formed so many friendships with our customers. We want everyone who comes in to have a great experience and leave loving what they've purchased. Whether it's a whole new wardrobe or a T-shirt."

The secret to You Are Here's success is no secret at all. "We strive for a high level of customer service," says Miller. "We have so much passion for what we carry, because we only buy what we love and luckily, our clients really respond to that. Joanna and I have similar styles overall, but have our own personal spin, so we bridge the gap with what we carry and that appeals to a lot of women."

The friends also strive to provide items and brands that aren't represented in other stores in Fort Worth. Miller and Bennett feel that the variety in the store is due to their respective personal styles.

As you can imagine, both women have phenomenal sense of style. They are quick to admit that they tend to be more casual day to day, but are not afraid to kick it up a notch when they need to. Bennett's style is a little more funky, bohemian with a fashion-forward edge, while Miller gravitates to more classic and tailored styles with a bit of edge.

Because of this mix, the styles found at You Are Here tend to run the gamut, making it a perfect place to shop for different generations of women. The pair encourage customers to lean into their own personal styles to curate a wardrobe of clothes that they will get the most wear out of.

"You can find the showstopper piece for a party or the work horses of your closet that need to take you to work and then happy hour with your girlfriends," says Bennett.

Taking It Home

The store carries high end jeans — think Frame, Mother Denim, Citizens of Humanity and AG — and some impressive fine jewelry lines like Woods Fine Jewelry. Currently, customers can shop a Jo Latham Fine Jewelry boutique within You Are Here.

You can count on finding a large selection of Ulla Johnson dresses for easy, yet glam, throw-on dresses. And even more high-quality brands the store is exciting to be carrying are Golden Goose sneakers and Paris Texas Boots.

The two friends advised me that I could invest in animal print, as it is not going anywhere and that they've noticed a trend toward various shades of pink for the upcoming seasons.

Another unique offering of the store is the ability to take pieces home on approval. "We try to make it easy for our clients, so we keep credit cards on file and allow them take things home for a few days to see if it works for their lifestyle," says Bennett.

"We also offer a Style Box Service for those that get overwhelmed by shopping, looking for a refresh or if they are out of state."

This allows the shop to compete with fashion big box heavy hitters, while still putting a more personal, Fort Worth spin on the shopping experience. Customers can ship back whatever they decide they don't want.

This year, You Are Here is excited to carry gifts that ring in around $50 and under to make gift giving easy. You can stop in for a top for your holiday party and pick up a hostess gift, all in one visit. While shopping, customers can also add to a wish list to keep track of wants — or needs — making holiday shopping a breeze for family and friends.

On December 14th, the store will host a drawing for a gift card with a value of $350, for customers that create wish lists. For the holiday season, You Are Here will host a men's night on December 17th, 5 pm to 7 pm, for male clients to shop for female family members.

They recognize that some men enjoy shopping for the women in their life, but others find it difficult and need a bit of assistance. Don't worry, guys, a stocked bar will be available.

Miller and Bennett say they plan to continue their customer service focus and strive to make You Are Here a fun shopping experience for all involved.

"We're always schemin' and dreamin', but we are both so happy with where we are as a store right now," Bennett says.