in sTyle accessories

By Bonnie Eissler

Chad Stanley had his eye on a certain shoe store on the Wimberley Square for quite a while before he and Wisconsinbased partner, Rob Garrett, at long last achieved this dream and bought In Style Accessories a year and a half ago.

Chad met previous owners, Larry and Kristi Broadway, in 1993 when he was a sales representative for footwear living in Grapevine Texas, and they became good friends. In a time when there aren’t many independent shoe stores, In Style Accessories stood out as destination shopping for visitors from all across Texas who wanted high quality shoes you likely wouldn’t find in big box, chain or department stores. “Larry and I would run into each other at trade shows,” Chad recalls, “and we joked about it for 15 years, I’d tell him I wanted the store someday.”

In time, Larry was ready to sell the store and Chad still wanted it. He especially liked the idea of bringing his friend Rob, who also works in the footwear business, along with him as a partner. One bonding similarity that Chad and Rob shared was a profound lack of interest in the world of apparel, except for shoes. “My dad was an apparel rep,” Chad said, “so I grew up around that, but I was always drawn to footwear instead, and so was Rob.”

The history of shoes is a fascinating one that can lead down many different rabbit trails, but it is generally understood that shoes tell the stories of people and their times. Everyone has at least one or two shoe stories, if not at the level of lost glass slippers or magical red shoes, there are memories of the indispensable fringed suede boots you once wore everywhere or “lucky” sneakers, as well as opinions about the best shoes for comfort and style. Those who work in the footwear business likely have more.

Chad and Rob have differing perspectives and ideas, about what kinds of shoes to add to In Style’s inventory for example, but theirs are complementary rather than divisive perspectives, often yielding good results. Recalling that Larry developed for target customers successfully and stayed true to that, Chad’s approach has been building on success from other designer aesthetics and always asking, “What is it that excites customers?” He describes himself as “closer to home but at the same time looking to see if there is a desire to modify a design.” For example, the action sports footwear adapted into collegiate styles that utilize university colors, making them desirable to sororities and fraternities and anyone really who wants to show school spirit.

Rob is a buyer who seeks out brands from younger designers and he has an ability to recognize color and texture that will appeal to customers. “Rob is a really good and super creative visionary who can see trends evolving forward,” Chad says, “Chicago is a more contemporary landscape and I was scared to death that Rob would go too far and bring something in that wouldn’t work, but so far he

See IN STYLE ACCESSORIES, Page 20

IN STYLE ACCESSORIES, from Page 18 has brought in some of our best sellers.” One popular brand now available at In Style is Birkenstock®, an icon in the shoe industry. “This always seemed like a brand that would go over very well here, but it wasn’t available until we bought the business,” Chad says.

Shoes that feel comfortable right away, provide arch support and are wide enough and long enough at the toes are some of the characteristics of a “comfort shoe.” In Style offers a wide selection of shoes, like Pikolinos® from Spain and Remonte® casual zip sneakers, On Running® Swiss-engineered performance shoes, that combine comfort with style.

Rob mentions the new accessory lines that the store now carries. He says, “Bellroy is an Australia based brand, we also carry high quality handmade leather shoes and accessories from Bedstu®. Our eye wear selection has also been updated with sunglasses that are fashionably functional and a high quality value for customers.”

The store carries around 100 different brands of shoes and accessories. The staff are extremely knowledgeable about the merchandise, as well as good ambassadors for the products they offer. They’ll spend as much time as you need to help, but you can also browse and try on shoes at your leisure with absolutely no pressure. It’s easy to spend a lot of time at In Style Accessories!

FYI • In Style Accessories is located at 107 Old Kyle Road. Open everyday, the shop’s hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 512-847-1765.