By Hope Katz Gibbs
Publisher
Be Inkandescent Magazine
Of all the swimsuits for sale in Annapolis, stylists for the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders chose the suits (pictured above) for cover girls Paige and Chase to model in the 2010 calendar that was photographed in the Dominican Republic.
Not bad publicity for the six-year-old boutique, which is located at 234 Main Street, in downtown Annapolis.
Co-owner Kathy Stanfield (pictured far right), started with the company as a saleswoman back in 2005, and quickly caught the entrepreneurial bug and decided to buy into the shop. GeorgiAnna King Schurr (picture left) came on a few years later and now is a co-owner.
Brown Eyed Girl’s logowear is for everyone.
Seated in a leather chair, sipping a Grande, black at the local Starbucks on Main Street, Stanfield wore a selection of some of the bestsellers in the shop: A black, yoga-inspired Soybu dress and matching black strappy sandals, dangling turquoise earrings, and the store’s signature sterling octopus bracelet.
Stanfield’s daughter, 14-year-old Clare, is also the perfect model for the hip urban offerings of Brown Eyed Girl, Stanfield notes. Ditto for Schurr, and her daughter Delaney, 14.
“Our offerings appeal to women 12 to 50, and to women in their 60s and 70s as well, because we sell classic pieces that are comfortable and affordable,” she explains. “Our dresses, tops, pants, and swimsuits are stylish and current, but also high quality. And our accessories—everything from fashionable handbags to funky jewelry designed by local artists—finish the outfit.”
While tourists love to stop in to shop, the locals are part of the Brown Eyed Girl family.
“I’ll be here doing paperwork, and there will be a knock at the door from one of our regular customers,” shares Stanfield, who grew up in Annapolis. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in English, she lived for several years in Boston before heading back to her hometown. “They’ll bring a bottle of wine and we’ll sit and talk. This is a great community to be part of.”
Don’t be surprised to see some of those locals and tourists walking around town with a “Brown Eyed Girl” tank top, fashionable T, or sweatshirt featuring the latest variation of the logo.
“Every season, we print logowear that’s fun, unique, and incredibly comfortable,” Stanfield says. “Brides love to buy them for their bridesmaids as thank you gifts, and they also make the perfect souvenir for anyone who loves a brown-eyed girl.”
But then, who doesn’t love a “Brown Eyed Girl?
While Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” is a song that has enchanted millions, the shop was originally named for the daughter of the founder.
“Today, it serves as a reminder to all romantics,” Stanfield insists, noting that she’s currently planning a few fashion shows for 2012, along with other events that will encourage shoppers to stop in.
Dogs, Stanfield says, are also welcome—including her own puppies, who are near and dear to her heart.
“I want this store to be a haven for anyone looking for fabulous clothes at affordable prices—and who want to have a nice chat with our staff,” she says. “Women should be comfortable in their clothes, and comfortable in the store they are shopping in. An hour spent at Brown Eyed Girl is time spent hanging with your girlfriends. We’ll let you know what flatters your figure, and what doesn’t, and we’ll have a great time doing it. After all, isn’t that what we all want?”
Brown Eyed Girl
234 Main Street, Annapolis MD
phone: 410 990-4475
email: begsurfshop@verizon.net
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