A tip of the hat: The owners of Bits & Bows open a retail boutique in Indiana Township
Tiny white tables and three little white chairs and a blue chair have been placed in the corner.
Sheets of paper with designs and markers for coloring are placed on top.
A curated selection of books and toys await children.
It’s an area set up for youngsters to play while the grownups browse through racks of merchandise for their little ones.
“We want this to be an experience, and not just a place to come in to buy something and leave,” said Katie Shelby, who co-owns Bits & Bows boutique with her sister, Sarah Shelby.
The siblings, who founded the accessories company Bits & Bows in 2021, will debut their first brick and mortar location Oct. 14-15 in Indiana Township. They plan to host shopping events and have hours by appointment. The location will serve as a hybrid workspace, showroom, event space and storefront.
The signature product of their business is the bow baseball hat for girls and women, which offers an updated feminine twist on a timelessly traditional sportswear staple. Customizable hats come in multiple colors with fun details such as a rainbows, dinosaurs, mermaids and tennis rackets, ballet slippers and unicorns. They also sell jewelry, purses, visors and other gifts for girls, boys, teens and women and have a holiday collection. There are also adult baseball hats.
They launched a baby line in fall of 2022.
Their more than 100 products are sold through more than 300 retailers and country clubs throughout the U.S. and online, but they felt that there is no place like home to open their first retail store. They attended Fox Chapel Country Day School and graduated from Shady Side Academy. Katie lives in Fox Chapel and Sarah lives in Hampton.
The new store will provide the opportunity to meet customers in person.
“We love what we do, and are so excited to open our doors and see our customers and watch the brand brought to life,” said Sarah, who came up with the original idea of a hat with bow feature. “This is so surreal.”
“This is our dream,” said Katie, whose passion for retail was inspired during an eighth grade career day project at the former Saks Fifth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. She has experience as a corporate retail buyer. “People are welcome to come here and hang out here if they want. We can work with the adults to help them find merchandise while the children get to play.”
The sisters believe the world is ready for a retail renaissance after the 2020 pandemic. Retail is transforming and people are looking for new ideas. They like to customize items.
Also, athleisure has been everywhere, they said. It’s casual, comfortable clothing designed to be suitable both for exercise and everyday wear.
The store is an opportunity to bring the Bits & Bows brand to life, said Sarah, who always wore bows in her hair and recalled the original idea of “what if this signature baseball hat could solve the problem with the simple adornment of a bow?”
The sisters are expanding the line to include merchandise that complements their hats, such as books or bags so a shopper can put together a coordinated gift.
The shopping experience includes the ability to have products monogrammed in a timely fashion. The sisters purchased a 15-needle Tajima embroidery machine, which can be used to personalize an item with a name or initials.
Bits & Bows hopes to conjure up memories – for Sarah it’s the box of brightly colored and patterned bows she wore in her hair each day.
For Katie, it’s her love of horses, where a bit, a piece that fits into the animal’s mouth, is used to give the rider more control.
Being sisters makes them great partners because they can say anything to each other.
Their three siblings and parents Chris and Judy Shelby have supported their venture, as well as Katie’s husband Brad. Chris Shelby custom built a centerpiece sales counter/table, window platforms and some of the wall fixtures.
The sisters chose the baseball hat as the foundation of their business because it is a tried-and-true favorite, they said. Something so simple can become so much more, adding personality to every little girl’s and woman’s style, Sarah said.
“There is magic in these hats and stories behind the people who wear them,” said Katie. “Some families want matching hats for vacations or other events. It is not just selling products but creating memories.”
Brittaney Collins of Aiken, S.C., created memories by purchasing hats for herself and three generations of women in her family.
“I can’t emphasize it enough, your hats are bringing us so much joy, and matching made this memory extra special,” Collins said.
Bits & Bows is located at Indiana Crossing, 715 Dorseyville Road
The open house and meet and greet is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 14 and noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 15
Details: https://www.shopbitsandbows.com/
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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