An Inspired Life

“If you’re not wearing something that’s inspiring you, it’s hard to live an inspired life,” says owner of Jake & Jones, Jennifer Steinwurtzel.

Usually, when I go into the store, I am preparing outfit ideas in my head for an editorial photoshoot. But this time, I am preparing interview questions. Entering Jake & Jones, I am instantly inspired by the modern Santa Barbara aesthetic and selection of homewares and women’s and children’s clothing. The walls are lined with avant-garde yet wearable pieces, each with their own story. When Jen walks out to meet me she has a glowing presence and comes across as equal parts professional and playful. We head two doors down to Handlebar Coffee and choose a quiet spot in the shade to chat.

She tells me what a crazy morning she’s had between taking care of her kids and trying to get to work. I am impressed by how she balances being both a mother of two young boys and a business owner. “I feel like we still, unfortunately, live in this sex-role driven society and that women feel the pressure to be everything…For me it’s always this trickiness of feeling guilty when I’m not with my kids and feeling guilty when I’m not with work,” says Jen. “I love when me and my kids are caught in these moments where we’re all together

and I’m not thinking about work, when I just get to be totally silly with them, whether it’s cuddling in bed, playing in the pool, or tickling each other.” She goes on to explain how involved her children are with the store and how she wants them to see her as a working mother. She describes Jake & Jones, named after her two sons, as a “fun family endeavor.”

Jen emphasizes the importance of being inspired not only when it comes to fashion, but with anything in life. Before starting Jake & Jones, she was a yoga instructor. Her yoga background has been an inspiration for both the way she runs her store and the way she lives her life. “Part of my reason for creating this store is that I felt like l lived in Santa Barbara but I wasn’t really contributing to it,” she mentions.

When I ask Jen about the store’s tagline “for the welltraveled, ever-curious woman,” she describes the type of woman she envisions shopping at her store and relates her to a yogi who is okay to just show up to the moment without knowing and allow her own inner self to be guided. “It’s a very vulnerable thing to do,” says Jen. She notes that this woman is not necessarily well-traveled in terms of where she’s been, she can be well-traveled by reading or through art or food. She is open and sees opportunity. “That’s what I want the store to be, I want people to walk in and feel inspired to be that part of themselves, to be reminded,” she says.

We went on talking about what to look forward to in terms of fall fashion. Jen says the store will be carrying a lot more outerwear as well as launching Mara Hoffman who has been a huge inspiration to her. “I think the word I’ve been really thinking about for fall is purposeful...I think people should wear what they feel comfortable in. I’m a big believer in comfort but I always want to provide space for people to take a risk,” Jen says with a smile.

Jake & Jones 136 E Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara jakeandjones.com 805-770-7763