Free People Opens Montecito Store

Fashionistas will be stoked that there is a fabulous Free People clothing store in Montecito. The brand, a very familiar landmark on State Street, has upped its game for our town. 

The store, located at 40 Los Patos Way, is basically in a farmhouse, which matches the brand well.

The Montecito store held its opening on Saturday, January 31, from 4-7 pm. When I arrived, the store was filled with serious shoppers, many who knew the brand and headed to buy their favorites. To the delight of many, the store is two levels, with cozy couches near the dressing rooms, and an outdoor patio for lounging and chatting with friends. Buyers had their goodies packed in reusable bags with a Valentine theme. 

The clothing items are arranged by color, with lace and silks mixed in dresses, skirts, pantaloons, blouses, kimonos, and sweatshirts. They are layered with color matched real suede jackets, silk scarves, suede bags, belts, and delicate lingerie. On both floors is a swimwear line with very teeny bikinis and elegant one-piece swimsuits, swim cover-ups and hats. Towards the cash wrap is lip balm, sunglasses, and high-end jewelry in glass display cases. For the home, there are scented candles, sachets, and small items of décor.

After cruising the store on my own, I met with the store manager, Brittany Balyn, who is a self-made e-commerce and social media marketing influencer and mom with over 500K followers across all platforms. She told me that she is a huge fan of Free People and did a career pivot to be this store’s manager, saying, “I love it, everyone is so supportive of each other and the community, and it’s female driven.” Balyn is supported with a team of ten women on staff. 

We next talked about what makes this store unique for Montecito. She explained, “Montecito has items you cannot find at any other Free People physical store. We have cashmere, real leather, suede and fur jackets, purses and belts, dresses that you view online, brands like LoveShackFancy and Magnolia Pearl, in-case fine jewelry that is gold and silver. We also have pearls, precious gemstones by Emily Shapiro and Iwona Ludyga Design, and we are the second California location and one of six in the U.S. to carry swimwear. We are offering a luxury concierge experience that includes private styling and events. Just let us know you’re interested, and we’ll take care of setting it up. We definitely have something for everyone.”

I asked about the Free People store on State Street DTSB. She said, “The Free People on State Street will turn into a Free People Movement store in June, and another larger Free People Movement store is opening on State Street. So there will be three Free People stores within 15 minutes of each other.”

Just as we finished the brief interview, Balyn’s mom and dad came in to shop! So we recruited her mom, Diana Rabbe, to model a suede jacket for our readers. Enjoy!