Kelsey Shoemaker
Jessica Breslin is in a war on drab clothing, and her new shop at Clearfork, Bette’s, might be her secret weapon.
Featuring women’s clothing with bright patterns and fashion-forward designs, Bette’s has been a vision of Breslin’s for some time. While the veteran fashionista, already made her footprint in Fort Worth with two previous shops, b kids and Birdie, Breslin hopes to expand the brand by providing customers with a more personalized shopping experience.
“I saw the niche Fort Worth was missing, and it’s kind of always been a dream to get my hands in and be a part of something like this,” Breslin says. “I jumped at the opportunity, and I knew it was the right spot to try this out and see if Fort Worth is ready for something as elevated and different.”
Breslin designed Bette’s to serve as a highly styled shopping experience that can fit in seamlessly with the other shops at Clearfork. It took almost a year to find a location that fit her vision, but, upon being introduced to Clearfork by her real estate broker, she knew she had found the spot for her new shop. Hitting the ground running, Breslin already has planned pop-ups and more customer interaction events for the new location.
Kelsey Shoemaker
“It’s a pretty prestigious area, and it’s a really well-done shopping center,” Breslin says. “It’s an exciting area within Fort Worth with the restaurants and newness of it all. I’ve always had the concept in mind and looked at other locations or had leases in the works, but it didn’t make sense to do it either at that time or place.”
The concept of Bette’s originated more than 10 years ago and has been in the development phase for over a year.
“It is a dream concept that I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to do, especially in the status of the world and everything we’ve gone through,” Breslin says. “It’s exciting, my two oldest kids are girls, and I really love being able to show them that you can truly do whatever you want, and the world is your oyster.”
Originally from New Orleans, Breslin has been involved in the retail and marketing sphere for the last 10 years. Together with a close friend and business partner, Breslin opened b kids, a children’s boutique in New Orleans. She then took time off to raise her first daughter and moved to the Fort Worth area. But, upon arriving in Cowtown, she had the itch to return to her creative outlet and opened second b kids in the Fort. Breslin credits her friend and business partner with steering her back to the fashion and retail industry.
“The volume isn’t anything too crazy and totally manageable, and I got to use all the experiences I had in the retail industry, wholesale, and marketing,” Breslin says. “It was really fun to share that with someone with who I literally grew up within the industry together. She helped me get my foot in the door and taught me to not be excited by entrepreneurship instead of intimidated by it.”
Bette’s is set to open its doors in early May and Breslin’s anticipation hangs by a thread. Customers of both Birdie and B Kids have expressed their interest in Bette’s and look forward to the new experience.
“I’ve had nothing but positive feedback and I have such a great circle of friends and family. This isn’t my first rodeo so I’ve been ready to buckle up,” Breslin says. “The word is spreading. Even talking with the vendors that we will work with, they’re excited because they know there’s a void here in Fort Worth for the little niche I’m trying to fill.”
Kelsey Shoemaker
