KB Kasuals boutique opened in 2015 as one of many new storefronts in Hughes Landing.


Co-owned by Krista McDaniel and her mom, Sherlynn Burks, the store offers laid-back, California-style garments for women of all ages.


“I just started Googling one day and [asked my] mom, ‘Can we open a boutique?’” McDaniel said. “She said yes, and it just kind of started from there. It’s evolved a lot since we started.”


KB Kasuals got its start in the River Oaks area in 2012, McDaniel said. That store has since closed with the opening of the location in The Woodlands.


“This [location] has grown dramatically more than we expected it to,” McDaniel said. “It’s been a lot of word of mouth. [Customers] like that it’s locally owned. A lot of our customers become our friends, so it’s a lot of repeats.”


After attending college at the University of Miami, McDaniel returned to the Houston area. She said she noticed a lack of places she enjoyed shopping in comparison to the Florida city where she found many boutiques with clothes she liked.


“When I came back, I really couldn’t find anywhere to shop,” McDaniel said. “I’ve loved fashion my whole life and so does my mom … I like how people can express themselves through their clothing.”


Although the store caters to all women, McDaniel said she typically sees women between the ages of 35 and 70 shopping at KB Kasuals.


Wilt and Bella Dahl, which are both California-based companies, are the store’s best-selling brands, McDaniel said. Both clothing lines offer relaxed, everyday items, making them a perfect fit for KB Kasuals.


Additionally, necklaces sold at KB Kasuals are a popular buy for customers.


“We’re known for our necklaces because they’re all one of a kind with real beading [and] 24-karat gold,” McDaniel said. “It’s all [made by] independent designers—some local, some I found on Instagram. Customers love it because they don’t make anything else like it.”


Stones by Kate, Unique Urban Rocks by Kym Jackson and Sofia Collection are a few examples of designers based in the Greater Houston area whose wares are featured at KB Kasuals.


McDaniel said she contacts designers to make sure no one else in the area carries their designs so there is no overlap.


“We only get one size of each style,” McDaniel said. “A lot of the stuff, we pick the colors, the style, exactly what size, and then once it’s gone, it’s gone. We don’t reorder anything.”


Although the price range at KB Kasuals is between approximately $50-$250, McDaniel said the store does not mark up their prices much more than the designers charge for their clothes, jewelry or shoes.


“We try and make [prices] reasonable,” McDaniel said. “We want to be fair to the customers so they know that when they come here, they’re not going to find it somewhere else and it will be cheaper.”