Fashion In The 805: On the road, in search of fashion: Petaluma, California

By Angelina Ward

Located 3o miles north of the diverse city of San Francisco, lies the sleepy town of Petaluma, California.

Known for such things as hosting the yearly "The World's Ugliest Dog Contest" televised on Animal Planet, as well as being the shooting site for varies movies such as American Graffiti (1973), Flubber (1997) and Basic Instinct (1992) this little town boasts a unique dining and shopping experience at the various boutiques downtown. Two boutiques, Ooh La Loft and Splendid Little Shoppe stand out for having a flair for fashion while keeping the business local. The bohemian beach feel of local favorite Splendid Little Shoppe features a wide variety of unique treasures from clothing to jewlery to home goods and decor. Originally opened by owner Alisha Peterson under the name "A Shangri La" in 2000, the boutique changed it's name to "A Splendid Little Shoppe" in 2006 but kept the affordably eclectic finds and homey feel to the store.

"Splendid little shoppe is a boutique filled with affordable fashions for you and your home! Located in the historic heart of downtown Petaluma we bring "chicness" to the "chicken capital of the world". ~ Alisha Peterson (0wner)

Splendid Little Shoppe is located at:

140 Petaluma Blvd. North Petaluma, Ca 94952 and can be found on facebook or at http://web.mac.com/splendidlittle/Site/splendid_little_home.html

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Ooh La Loft opened in 2008 with the owners, twin sisters Christina and Michelle Wilson, who wanted to feature both new and gently used clothes in an environment that was open and friendly to both local shoppers and those passing through for the day. The boutique has a young and fresh feel, with a large store space where shoppers can freely explore the many unique finds of the store without feeling cramped.

"Our shop is special because of our mix of new clothing and used clothing. We have a special selection of cute new boutique finds that we hand pick at shows and from local artists. The back of our store is all used clothing which we buy from customers. We offer personal shopping for customers who need a little help or are going to a special event. Michelle and I do wardrobe styling for commercials and phtoshoots and have alot of experience dressing people to look their best. Clothing and style is our passion and we hope people will love our store as much as we do." ~ Christina Wilson (owner/wardrobe stylist)