It’s worth a trip seeing how fun and clever in-store displays can be.
Locals tell us Waxing Poetic is such the hit! First, yes, it’s mainly for women. But if men are looking for great pieces to bring home, can’t go wrong with anything you find in this fabulously charming store. Waxing Poetics specialize in cool, intricate pieces for reasonable prices. It’s worth a trip seeing how fun and clever in-store displays can be. The company has grown leaps and bounds since its inception. Owners/sisters, Patti and Lizanne, locals in Santa Ynez Valley, have recently expanded the company to Capinteria next to Santa Barbara. Here’s their story of how far they’ve come!
Q: How did the boutique start? What is Waxing Poetic’s background story?
Patti: Waxing Poetic came into being, as one might expect, by assembly, experiment, love, tradition, and chance. My sister Lizanne and I grew up in a family of perpetual storytellers, and we both share a reverence for intimate narratives, invented traditions, saints of all sorts, and the alchemy that happens when these fuse with devotion, wonder, love, and invention. In 2002, in tandem with a variety of other projects, we decided to take a risk, collect some friends, pray, and make a go of it. Waxing Poetic is the ever-evolving result of that process.
Q: How do you select the different collections to carry in your stores, what types of products jump at you and make you think “I must carry this in the stores”?
Lizanne: We are thrilled to now have two Waxing Poetic stores – our flagship store in Los Olivos, and our Summerland store, which opened its doors in August 2012. In addition to our own stores, we work with hundreds of wonderful retailers across the country that carry our treasures. We design each and every piece of all our collections, thanks to our amazingly talented design team. We seek inspiration for our designs from so many areas of our lives – whether it be family, faith, celebrations, art & culture and our own life experiences. These experiences shape the pieces we design as well as the stories we tell through our collections! We’re also thrilled to expand our collection of wearable art beyond the jewelry box this spring with our new line of signature scarves, called “Embraceable Scarves.”
Q: You carry pieces that women can tell stories with. What’s the concept behind that, and what are some collections that have “stories” to tell?
Patti: Every life has a story, and we are privileged to provide a means to not only tell it, but to wear it. We feel that every piece in our collection belongs to a story or sentiment – from a “Heart Insignia Charm” bearing the letter of one’s lifetime love, or a “Waxy Cross Charm” acknowledging one’s faith, to a “Greek Society Sorority Charm” honoring one’s commitment to her sorority sisters – each piece is created to not only be beautiful, but also meaningful.
Q: When men come into the stores, what types of products do you recommend for them to bring home to their loved ones?
Lizanne: We LOVE helping the fellas out there find something special for their loved ones – they get major brownie points from us just for walking in the door and wanting to do something special for the lovely ladies in their lives! Our recommendations vary from person to person, but generally revolve around two questions: Are you buying this gift for a special occasion? What do you love/admire/cherish/respect most about this person? From there we can hopefully narrow it down to something that when received has her thinking, “Wow, this is really special and heartfelt.”
Q: Who is a Waxing Poetic woman? What does she look like?
Patti: She is an everyday adventurer, a dreamer, an artist, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend. She is quietly luxurious, passionate, loyal, and above all else, she has a story to tell and she’s proud to tell it.
