Say Hello To Yellow Jacket!
I remember listening to the commencement speaker at my sister’s college graduation in 2007, and the founder of Teach for America spoke. She talked about how her ignorance was helpful in starting Teach for America. The not knowing she was embarking on something that might not work was a good and enabling thing. I don’t want to conflate retail with starting a philanthropic organization that fights for school equality, but I understood her sentiment. Sometimes, it is better not to know what you are doing because it might stop you from doing it.
That is how I feel about shopkeeping. I got into it not knowing what I was getting into, and that was a good thing, and I think the same with helping start the Warehouse Sale, the Old Town Boutique District, and Alexandria Stylebook. Had I known the sheer volume of work it would take to make any of it viable, I might not have done it.
Well, after almost two decades in retail, I am once again embarking on the unknown and opening up a men’s clothing store called Yellow Jacket. You’ll see our logo and promotions popping up soon, and I hope I can count on you to give us a look, a referral, or both.
I have been asked about what we will carry and when we will open, and I wish I had definitive answers, but I still have a lot to figure out. Even after I open, I am sure I will have a lot to figure out. But for now, we are just going for it.
Here is the tentative plan. Come November, we will do a “pop-up” style store at 301 Cameron. We are busy chasing down product; it has been a little more challenging than we anticipated, thanks to the global supply chain crunch. But, we do have some great brands lined up, so we decided we would be crazy not to do a soft open during the holiday shopping season and also see what kinds of things folks like. It will be a great way to gauge customer reaction and learn what more customers want. Our store will be unlike any other men’s store in Old Town, so we seek the wisdom of our clients. Then, in January of 2022, we will do a little painting and sprucing up of the space and throw a big old party and have a proper grand opening.
The first delivery actually arrived a little early, and we decided why not get it up on our website and get it out on a rack at The Hive? I hope this sneak peek will build a little excitement. So, without further adieu, I’d like to announce our first men’s line, johnnie-O. We picked the line for very scientific reasons: my husband, brother, father, and brother-in-law would all wear it. It was started by a Midwesterner who moved out west to attend UCLA. This quote from the owner, John O’Donnell, sums up the brand pretty perfectly.
“After a few more years in advertising sales and some walking in my sleep selling financial printing in LA, I had an idea, an idea that was rooted in years of blue blazers, penny loafers, and khaki pants coupled with years of flip slops, board shorts, and graphic t-shirts-- Ten years later, johnnie-O, the brand is making good on my original vision of bringing west coast prep to life.”
As a fellow Midwesterner, who longs to live in the West, I get this sentiment as well. Look for more posts about other lines we will be adding to our men’s assortment, and save some room on your holiday shopping itinerary for Yellow Jacket.
