e.b. Pepper spent nearly four decades styling Pittsburgh’s most fashionable people.

She traveled the country attending fashion shows and markets and brought back apparel and accessories from all over the world to her Shadyside boutique, e.b. Pepper.

Pepper sought out trends from shoulder pads to country western, leather and fully-beaded prom gowns and the latest party looks. She dressed clients for stylish soirees and glamorous galas and gave those who needed business attire a place to suit up.

With the recent announcement of her retirement, the city will be a little less stylish.

“After 37 years I am sadly stepping down to retire,” said Pepper, on Thursday, sharing a message with her customers. “It has been my utmost honor and absolute pleasure to help style all my fabulous clients and friends. I love you all and will miss you so so much.”

Her clients and friends will miss her too, said customer Pat Artz.

“I am totally into different, and when I am looking for something different, e.b. Pepper is the place to go,” Artz said. “This is a one-of-a-kind store.”

Grand opening

Pepper opened the boutique March 31, 1987, which is her birthday.

The store will officially close on that date because her lease ends then. But it could close earlier if the merchandise is gone — she is offering discounts.

Pepper said she was asked in November if she planned to renew her lease. She also considered selling the business or signing a new lease.

“I felt like the universe was telling me it’s time,” she said. “Retail is changing. People shop more online. We’ve been able to adjust over the years because only the strong survive.”

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She made it through a recession, a pandemic, the rise of internet shopping and casual Fridays turning into work-from-home weeks. Pepper came up with ways to stay relevant. She opened an online presence and during the pandemic began doing Instagram reels to showcase outfits and accessories.

“I have loved every minute of this,” Pepper said. “It has always been my passion. I was an influencer before there were influencers. And I am open to other options in the future.”

As she reflects, she realized how much time and commitment it has taken to operate a retail business. The days are long and you miss out on life experiences, she said. She often brought her daughter Chelsea to the store when she was little.

She has waited on several generations of families.

“It is my time for self-fulfillment with a little less pressure,” she said was how her husband described her retiring. “I don’t want to focus on the store closing. I want to celebrate my time as a boutique owner and all of my amazing clients.”

Ellen Beth

For people wondering what the e.b. stands for, it’s Ellen Beth. When Pepper first got into retail, she would sign documents e.b. Pepper. At age 16, she worked in boutiques in Shadyside and Oakland. By college, she landed a gig at Scoop — Pittsburgh’s first unisex specialty boutique chain — that turned into a full-time job as a buyer upon graduation.

She said at that time, her focus as a buyer was to be immersed in the fashion culture of New York City, from Studio 54-inspired trends to platform shoes and black leather jeans.

The Joseph Horne department store recruited Pepper for its first contemporary women’s fashion department. She helped search out some of the store’s high-fashion selections. She heard the space on Walnut Street was available from realtor Walter Blattner and went for it.

“I have always wanted my own boutique,” she said. “It was my dream, my vision.”

When she went on buying trips, she had to anticipate what people would want in the following season and what colors and sizes. Some of the designers she carried include Alice + Olivia, Nanette Lepore, Ronny Kobo, Central Park West and AG Jeans.

She employs a seamstress.

“When you make purchases months ahead of time, you sometimes get surprised when you see the items arrive,” Pepper said. “You gamble when buying ahead of time, but in fashion, you have to do that. You learn to figure it all out. I always tried to bring fresh styles to the store.”

For 13½ years in the early 2000s, the store also was known for its four-legged mascot, Chloe the pug. People still come in the store looking for the pet, she said.

Pepper, who lives in Shadyside, grew up in Stanton Heights and is a Peabody High School graduate. She loved shopping on Walnut Street growing up. She said Pittsburgh is fashionable and has great boutiques — you just have to know where to find them.

She said people have contacted her about personal shopping.

“There is never a good time to say goodbye,” she said. “I know I will be sad when I close the door for the last time.”

Best foot forward

Also closing its doors will be Footloose, a shoe store located above e.b. Pepper. Owner Jill Rubinstein, of Churchill, moved into the space eight years ago from another location in Shadyside. (Its Galleria location in Mt. Lebanon will remain open.)

“I love Shadyside, and we are a part of history here,” Rubinstein said. “We are proud to serve this community and be a part of the fabric of people’s lives.”

She said Pittsburgh is such a philanthropic city.

“e.b. and I have dressed some of the people attending those galas,” said Rubinstein, of the shoe store that has been in Shadyside since opening in October 1987. The original family shoe business opened in 1936.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop | Tribune-Review Footloose, located above e.b. Pepper in Shadyside, is closing because both owners are retiring.  

When their stores were a few blocks apart, she and Pepper would send customers to each other. Recently, they’ve been sending them upstairs or downstairs. Both have maintained customers who live out of state.

Footloose carries designers such as Stuart Weitzman, Donald Pliner and Charles by Charles David.

“I will miss all of the customers, many who’ve become friends,” Rubinstein said. “Retail is about the relationships. I tell people you can buy it online or (buy in a store and) get it right the first time. We are a dying breed. You can’t get this experience online.”

Sparkle and shine

You definitely cannot, agreed Lisa Rudick, of Squirrel Hill, owner of Yeni Jewelry. She has been collaborating with Pepper for 10 years. She curates the line and describes it as “fun, fine jewelry for the moment, but also for lifetime.”

Pepper said Yeni Jewelry is fine jewelry with an edge that rounded out the aesthetic of the boutique’s entire look.

“Lisa has a great fashion eye and curated the best collection of forward-looking fine jewelry that attracted many followers,” Pepper said. “She was a great asset to the store.”

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Rudick said she, Pepper and Rubinstein have always been dedicated to customer service.

“This has been such a positive experience,” Rudick said. “We all love meeting the customers and getting to know them. This is definitely the end of an era.”

e.b. Pepper is located at 5411 Walnut St., Shadyside. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday but are subject to change.

Details: 412-683-3815 or ebpepper.com

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