Good Vibes
Dallas may be far away from the West Coast, but it’s managed to pick up some of the quintessential California style.
Lori Landes’ beachy, edgy boutique West Coast Vibes took the place of an old 1930s movie theater in Snider Plaza in October 2016. For Landes, a Highland Park mom with two sons at Highland Park High School and three younger kids, opening the store has been a labor of love.
“I want the [clothing] to be comfortable and still be fashionable,” Landes said. “Nothing in Dallas has been this edgy and this sort of feel.”
West Coast Vibes sells a lifestyle, with trendy apparel for men, women, and children, from brands of a certain ilk — Alo, J Brand, Toms, Spiritual Gangster, good hYOUman. Brand names are featured on wooden signs in the shape of surfboards. The shop is decorated in bright colors and hashtags.
The clothes are made from soft, comfortable materials and sold at a comfortable price point for the pocket. Landes hopes the variety of prices will help attract a wide range of customers.
In choosing brands that are not frequently sold in Dallas, the store has cultivated a look that is in high demand, store manager Cody Mowat said. “Everyone is already wearing these clothes; [West Coast Vibes] is just giving them a place to shop.”
West Coast Vibes’ own line includes hats, Levi’s vintage denim jackets, tote bags, and the signature bomber jacket with the West Coast Vibes logo embroidered on the back. The jackets have become such a hit that Lane has had to open an e-commerce store on westcoastvibes.com.
Landes, who has a second home in Santa Monica, has been asked to open stores in California and New York, but for now, she wants to keep the business specific to the Park Cities.
“My reasoning behind doing this was to make a fun and casual boutique that caters to our neighborhood so that [Dallas] could have all the brands [we] wanted, while having a passion to bring a different environment to Dallas,” Landes said. “California is my happy place, and hopefully, I can instill a little of that at the store.”
