Lyla’s: Clothing Decor & More started as a pop-up shop, making occasional appearances around Plano. Now, it sits nestled among the Historic Downtown shopping strip along 15th Street.
Owner Meagan Wauters has defied the odds of the last year to keep it there by innovating and expanding the shop’s reach. Dressed in head-to-toe Lyla’s apparel, Wauters is ready to take on the challenges that remain for small business owners.
When and how did you come to Plano?
I am originally from Louisiana. I moved to Texas in 2006 through JCPenney [and] have been a resident of Plano since 2015.
Tell us a little bit about Lyla’s.
Lyla’s is named after my grandmothers, Lydia and Laura. After leaving corporate retail, I started Lyla’s as a clothing online boutique. We slowly started doing vendor shops in vendor [and] consignment malls. [This included] school pop ups like Plano West Snowflake and Market in the Meadow School shows. I took the leap to small business after getting married. I wanted to get away from working every weekend to start a family. I opened Lyla’s in Downtown Plano in 2017.
How did you choose to bring Lyla’s to Downtown Plano?
The location was suggested to me through friends. Downtown Plano is being revitalized, and traffic is building in the area.
What can shoppers find?
I have a new passion for finding sarcastic, fun gifts. I love hearing customers laugh as they walk through the store. Shoppers can find on-trend clothing, cute gifts and home decor items.
What are some of the biggest ways you and Lyla have changed? What core things have stayed the same?
The biggest ways I have changed is learning customer trends and continuously adjusting [to those]. Lyla’s started out predominately clothing, and I slowly incorporated gifts. With the pandemic, I noticed a shift in buying patterns to more gifts.
What was it like making it through the pandemic?
It’s been a struggle. At the beginning of the pandemic, I didn’t know if we would make it. With these surges and the ease of ordering from Amazon, small businesses have an uphill battle. I try to offer unique clothing and gifts that attract customers in.
Do you have any exciting projects or changes coming up?
We have been working on upgrading and building our website to give a better online shopping experience. [We are] making it more user friendly [and] getting new arrivals online quickly with quality photos. We still offer curbside pickup!
Do you see curbside as a long-term option even post-pandemic?
[Yes], if people need a quick gift and want to shop small! Being next to the city of Plano’s headquarters and businesses, some come in for last-minute gifts and reserve items online. We bag with tissue paper and make it gift-ready.
What do you enjoy doing most in Plano?
I love the sense of community in Plano! The tremendous support by the residents to keep small businesses thriving is amazing to see. I was involved in the Junior League of Collin County and hope to get back into it. I [also] recently joined the PTA with my new kindergartner.
Lyla’s: Clothing Decor & More, 1024 E. 15th St., Plano, 214.907.6239, lylasplano@gmail.com
