My Biz: Iowa City clothing store has a flair for fabrics

IOWA CITY — Ritu Jain has long had a fascination for fabrics.

It led her to open a fabric store in a small space on Linn Street back in 1991. She called it Textiles.

Today, Textiles is located in Iowa City's pedestrian mall on South Dubuque Street. And while the shop no longer sells fabrics, it's been able to keep in touch with its roots by featuring a variety of women's fashions.

'I knew this was a prime location,' Jain said of her move to the ped mall more than two decades ago. 'I grew up here in Iowa City, and I had never seen this space open. So I jumped on it without a plan.'

While she originally offered fabrics, Jain said she soon began carrying women's clothing and jewelry, which shifted the complete focus of the business. But her background with textiles continues to help her in operating a women's boutique.

'I had worked at fabric stores in high school and college and even worked in the costume shop at Hancher,' she said. 'Clothing is really my passion, and with my fabric background, I really do look at how things are constructed. I want to know if the piece is washable.'

She said comfort is the main inspiration for the pieces she sells at Textiles.

'My philosophy is that life is too short to be uncomfortable ...

in your own skin, in your own style, with who you are. This store is not brand-driven. I think, 'Would you feel great when you put this on?,' and that's how I know what to buy.'

'My buying is from my gut,' she added. 'I buy what I love. Everything in the store is cherry-picked by me.

'I had small phases where I'd try to buy something just because it was trendy, and then it didn't work out. I know that if I don't love it, I can't sell it, so now I don't stray from that.'

Jain added that, 'Some of my customers I have known since before I opened Textiles. They have seen me grow up and have kids and I've seen them through life phases, too.

'And it's great being a part of a small community like Iowa City. I'll go out to eat and I'll run into a customer. They all have such goodwill toward the store. My customer base likes my taste. I've had a nice steady clientele over the years because as I've grown up, they've grown up too.'

Jain said she can hardly believe the store is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, no small feat in the world of retail. 'I remember thinking when I started out that 25 years seemed like such a long time but it has just flown by. I can't believe I've been here this long.'

She said that Iowa City is an ideal location for the boutique — which offers women's clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and somethings other things that Jain loves.

'This is such a great community to have a business in,' she said. 'They are more than just my customers. They have become family and friends. And Iowa City is unique in that all of us small boutique owners get along. We talk about strategies and pooling resources. So even though we are 'competitors' we work together to get more people downtown. That comraddare you see here is surprising because we support each other.'

It's like a support group of sorts, as owning a business is all consuming she said. 'When you own a business, she noted, 'it is always on your mind. It's not always negative, sometimes you are just full of ideas. I woke up in the middle of the night recently with an idea for the store.'

'And as owner you wear all the hats. I'm less on the floor now as I'm often doing paperwork.'

Jain serves on the board of the Iowa City Downtown District and the Iowa City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Along with her six employees, most of whom work part time, the Textiles team manages to have fun on the job. 'We love when shipments come in,' she said as she watches one employee unpack a shipment of new Hobo handbags. 'I usually forget what's coming as I've ordered so long ago. It's just such fun.'

'And I have great employees,' she added. 'The way the store looks, the window displays and how it is arranged is all thanks to them. It's empowering for employees and gives people the opportunity to rise to the occasion.'

Textiles is featured on Shoptiques.com now, and Jain said she'd like to have more of an online presence for the store.

In the meantime, she said you can continue to count on getting the highest level of customer service and friendliness from her and her staff. 'We always say hello, ask if our customers are doing all right and what occasion they are shopping for. And because we have so much in the store we usually end up showing people great options.'

AT A GLANCE

Owner: Ritu Jain

Company: Textiles

Address: 109 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City

Phone: (319) 339-0410

Website: facebook.com/TextilesIowaCity

Know a company in business for more than a year that would make a good My Biz? Contact Michael Chevy Castranova at michaelchevy.castranova@thegazette.com