What do Deep South Lures, boutique and fishing clothing and accessories have in common?
Those are just some of the items you’ll find at “Hooks & Handbags” that opened last fall at 2244 Avenue G in downtown Bay City.
Brother and sister duo Alan Rowlins and Rosalyn White are co-founders and operators of the store.
While this is Rowlins’ first storefront, White was a downtown fixture with her “Baby Bottoms” business for years.
“After closing ‘Baby Bottoms,’ I always knew that I’d get back into being a business owner again,” explained White.
“When my brother came to me with his ideas, I knew the time was right for me to start again too.”
She credits her previous business experience for helping guide her currently.
“I learned a lot with ‘Baby Bottoms’ and it definitely has helped prepare me for opening another business in Bay City,” White explained.
“I can bring that knowledge and experience to this store and not have the same worries as I did in the very beginning.”
“Even with the COVID-19 pandemic still happening, I felt that 2021 was the year I could start a new business and here we are!” she added.
White’s boutique business features niche clothing styles, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories.
“I wanted to do something different besides all of the baby and infant clothes that I sold last time,” she explained.
“I’m also working on more home decorations like wreaths and other floral arrangements.”
She added that the store also features consigners as well.
“The business isn’t just all about my brother and me – we have others who put in hard work and items for sale, too,” said White.
Rowlins added that his half of the business features his fishing lifestyle brand called “My Life.”
“I came up with ‘My Life’ one day while I was in traffic,” he explained.
“I was sitting behind this truck that had a ‘Salt Life’ decal on the back and knew that I could use my love for fishing to start a business. I came up with the slogan ‘My Life’ right there.”
Rowlins’ slogan is featured on a variety of clothing items from shirts to hoodies and hats.
“This year, I’m looking at getting custom fishing rods built for customers along with more gear and supplies,” he added.
They both agreed that their business has been well-received and supported locally.
“We get customers in every day that are waiting to see what new items we have for sale,” said White.
“It’s a blessing for us to have such support from our community.”
“My favorite is seeing parents bringing their children in and watching them get excited at our displays and products,” added Rowlins.
“We have some new features in the works that we hope will only add to what our customers are looking for.”
The pair are also looking forward to Bay City Main Street Program’s annual “Camofest” event later this month.
“I already told Alan that ‘Camofest’ is a big deal downtown and have had my business open through the events,” explained White.
“We’ll be open and interested to see how it goes this year. There might be a few special deals or sales during the event – we’re still deciding on those.”
“I definitely have a few projects for the hunters in our area,” added Rowlins.
“I’ve got some digital camo items in the works and will still have all of the ‘My Life’ apparel on hand, too.”
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