TITZY'S

The expression "two heads are better than one" signifies the brainchild of Titzy's, the avant garde new shop opening in Royal Oak.

The founding team of Itzel Jodway and Tiffany Brenner have combined their talents to create this state of the art store. The name "Titzy's" is derived from a combination of both their first names. Identical twins, both women are first, and foremost, wives and mothers of small children.

Titzy's gears its energy toward young mothers by offering an extensive selection of nursing bras, maternity wear, lingerie and sleepwear for the nursing and pregnant woman, infant wear, boutique items, an impressive baby line which includes a myriad of health and beauty accessories to facilitate the birth of a new baby.

The store offers a child friendly area so that mothers can comfortably shop in a complete and relaxed setting. This allows Itzel and Tiffany, the owners, to spend time with their own children while in the work environment.

Supporting Michigan economy is a cause both women strongly believe in. Recognizing women as business entities, they strive to promote minorities, stay at home moms and working moms with a viable income.

The store is located in Royal Oak, where both women reside and they are also encouraging and supporting local artists and suppliers. Many of their contributing suppliers are stay at home mothers and Titzy's endorses their entrepreneurial spirit by featuring their products. This concept allows enterprising mothers to be at home with their children while supplementing their income.

The effervescent atmosphere of Titzy's is spontaneous and reflected in the outgoing and friendly personalities of both women. Excellent customer service sets the tone for a fun and productive shopping experience.

The store is located at 506 S. Washington in Royal Oak. The "Grand Opening" is slated for October 5th and the soft opening for Oct.1st.

~ Moms the word when it comes to Titzys but, dont keep it a secret. ~

Titzy's wants to make mom and baby happy

By Megan Pennefather
STAFF WRITER
The Observer and Eccentric

Sure, fluffy bunnies and pastel-colored jammies are nice, but sometimes your baby has her own unique style to express.

So for the style-conscious baby, and her mother, there's Titzy's, a maternity, nursing and infant wear store that opened Oct. 1 in Royal Oak.

"We opened up the store to offer things we couldn't find when we were pregnant," said Itzel Jodway, who owns the store with her twin sister, Tiffany Brenner.

The store offers clothes, accessories and baby care products from local artists and stay-at-home moms. Other clothing lines are from small Michigan outlets that feature unique designs and styles.

HANDMADE PRODUCTS

The sisters said they seek out stay-at-home mothers in the area who may supplement their incomes with hand-sewn clothes or hand-painted baby furniture.

"Eighty percent of our merchandise is from stay-at-home moms," said Jodway, adding they wanted to create a network where women could bring in an income without having to go back to the office after their babies are born.

"Really, we wanted to have beautiful things at a reasonable price," Brenner said.

Nursing wear is the store's niche market thus far, with stylish maternity tops that can also be used for nursing after the baby is born. There are also edgy "Detroit Mom" maternity T-shirts. There's a large selection of organic cotton infant and toddler wear, and a variety of organic baby lotions.

MIXED STYLES

The edgy, funky styles are Brenner's influence, while the store's collection of conservative, traditional mom and baby wear is Jodway's.

"You can see our different styles throughout the store," said Brenner. "We need the mixture. That's what makes the store pop."

The store also pops with family-friendly activity: Jodway's 14-month-old daughter, Jenevieve, plays nearby her mother, while Brenner carts around her 4-month-old son, Julian.

Family was another motivating factor behind starting the store. Jodway worked in human resources for an auto company, while Brenner was in purchasing. Neither wanted to continue the 9-to-5 grind once their children were born.

The two began discussing opening a store last summer, with a space opening up on Washington Street in September. The store itself has wide aisles and large changing rooms to accommodate strollers.

In the month since its opening, the store has gotten a steady flow of customers, thanks to the merchandise, some advertising and, of course, the name, a blend of the sisters' first names.

PUN INTENDED

"Our name has gotten us exposure," said Jodway, who said her husband suggested the name initially as a joke. "It's a name that sticks with you. It's meant to be pun-intended."

The sisters also push to carry all American-made merchandise. They ask that none of their suppliers buy parts from China.

It's a way, they said, to give a little boost to a lagging state economy, while at the same time making independent boutiques a viable option for shoppers again.

"Our goal is to be really fairly priced," Brenner said. "We're trying to bring boutique shopping back into Royal Oak as well."

Chris Hayes is a student at Baker College who's interning at Titzy's about four days a week. He said he wanted to observe how a small business gets off the ground.

"I've learned a lot," he said. "It's just a really fun environment."

A FAMILY STORE

With kids, toys, clothes and the infectious enthusiasm of the owners filling the store, that's an understandable observation.

Soon, the sisters want to expand their business to include even more handmade items from local artists. They also want to bring a nurse in once a month to answer questions from new parents, and eventually offer a social group for stay-at-home moms who want someone to talk to besides their children.

It's all a part of trying to keep Titzy's a family store, both for the owners and the customers.

"We want it to seem homey," said Jodway, "not just racks."

Titzy's is at 506 S. Washington in downtown Royal Oak. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The store is closed Monday. For more information, call (248) 399-1337, or visit the Web site, www.titzys.com.