One day a few months ago, Willie and Theresa Johnson visited Downtown and noticed there wasn’t any place for a man or a woman to buy casual clothes. They decided to change that.
The couple found a storefront they liked and opened His and Hers Fashions at 42 W. Monroe St., near the Main Library.
Willie is a Jacksonville native and former sheet metal worker. He remembers when Downtown was the city’s center for retail and had always dreamed of having a clothing store.
“I grew up shopping Downtown. Opening the store is like a flashback,” he said.
Theresa is originally from St. Louis, Mo., and worked as a deli and bakery department manager at Winn-Dixie before becoming a fashion entrepreneur.
“People who work Downtown live all over Jacksonville. We wanted to give them a place to shop. By selling men’s and women’s clothes, everybody can be a customer,” she said.
The boutique specializes in casual fashions for men and women. There’s also a selection of clothing necessities like socks and underwear.
Jewelry, accessories, sunglasses and skin-care products are on display.
They’ve been open just a few weeks.
Theresa said her job is to keep up with what the market wants and current fashion trends.
“Right now, we have a lot of long sundresses. Women were walking by in heels and coming in and asking if we had flat shoes, so we brought in flat shoes,” she said.
After beginning the store as a two-person operation, the Johnsons are looking forward to a time when they can hire staff to help with customers.
“We want to help create jobs Downtown,” said Theresa.
His and Hers Fashions is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. The shop is open until 9 p.m. for First Wednesday Art Walk.
356-2466