By: Deborah Johnson Wood
It took less than a year for fashion gurus Kirsten McLin and Debbie Otten to move from being new owners of an award-winning women’s fashions shop to becoming the new owners of a women’s fashions shop AND a men’s clothing store.
The owners of Pink Blvd jumped at the chance to open Blue Ave, a men’s clothing and gift shop at 972 Cherry St., right next door to their successful all-girls boutique.
Blue Ave specializes in men’s clothing and gifts, with something for every guy—dress pants and shirts, jeans and Tees from size small to XXL. Designer cuff links showcase the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Eames. Topping the gifts list are collector pens and key chains, designer bottle stoppers, vintage game gift sets, flasks of faux leather or metal, and Ritzenhoff cigar ashtrays.
“Pink was doing so well and the space next door opened up unexpectedly,” says Kirsten McLin. ““The buildings go very quickly here. Everyone wants to be on this street, so we grabbed it.
“We had a lot of people in the neighborhood asking for a men’s store, guys coming in with their wives and saying there’s nothing in the district for men.
The shop has the original wood floors and tin ceiling, and is decorated in what McLin calls “manly decor” of blues, browns and olive greens.
“Debbie’s husband, Dave Otten, created the dressing rooms and they remind me of old steamer trunks because of the brown wood edged in silver steel,” McLin adds. “The men who come in seem to love the store.”
Source: Kirsten McLin, Blue Ave
Photo by Brian Kelly
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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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