Impulse/Totokaelo

ur customers like clean things–they’ll buy basics and mix it up in how they wear it. Our customer is buying the same stuff–neutrals–cardigans, things that are easy to layer with.

The above is a simple philosophy that Impulse director Jill Wenger rattles off with ease. She looks the part as she huddles in the back office of the store, right next to the little studio, used to photograph items and post them online. See, Impulse is really “Impulse/Totokaelo”: one part physical store, one part online store, one part web 2.0, which allows customers to go on the store’s Web site and make comments about various size quirks or share tales of a great fit.

“We started a blog, letting shoppers discuss product, ask questions, etc. People started ordering. We never intended to sell online. We just started putting up pictures, and people started buying over the phone. It was a natural evolution to go online,” says Wenger.

The “layered” retail experience mimics the store’s focus on layering as a definitive look. Wenger lived in Europe and Australia and picked up on the “look” over there.

“My friends looked amazing and wore the same thing. Three outfits rotated through, and they all looked good. It helped me differentiate between an American style of dressing. I was the person that went out and bought stuff, loved shopping, and would never wear it. The more layers you have the more comfortable you can be. It’s a very practical way of dressing. There’s this level of intelligence and practicality. They look at clothes as an investment.”

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