After repeatedly receiving compliments on her personal style, Pamela Sofola decided to share her fashion secrets with The Woodlands community by opening Armario De La Bella in 2013.
Armario De La Bella, which translates to “the beautiful closet,” is a boutique specializing in unique pieces from around the world. The clothing store originally began in 2011 when Sofola left her life as an accountant to began hosting trunk shows around the U.S.
After enjoying success with trunk shows, Sofola opened a pilot store in Oak Ridge North in 2013 before relocating 18 months later to its permanent location in the Village of Creekside Park.
“[Fashion] is my passion, so I decided to follow it,” Sofola said. “I try to get unique pieces that you can wear over and over again. I don’t really follow trends because when people buy something, I want them to be able to wear it again and again and still get that ‘wow’ factor.”
The boutique carries women’s clothing sizes 0-16, juniors sizes and children’s clothing sizes newborn-16. In addition to clothing, Armario De La Bella also offers casual footwear, handbags, home decor, jewelry, gifts, Christian books and inspirational items.
“I truly believe you don’t have to spend a million dollars to look like a million dollars—it’s just in the way you put outfits together,” Sofola said. “So I try to stock the store with items at various price points so that everybody can shop in the store. It’s not just for people who can afford very expensive items; everybody can buy something from the store and feel they got a good deal.”
Sofola said prices in the store can range anywhere from $10 to $500, and the majority of the items Armario De La Bella carries are from international markets in Spain, Italy and France. The boutique only offers a few of each item.
“We also have things from New York City and California, but my goal is to make it an international store that has things from every corner of the world,” Sofola said. “Eventually I want to have free trade items that I buy from locals who don’t have access to global markets.”
In addition to bringing items to her boutique from around the world, Sofola is also committed to helping the community.
“One thing that’s very important and dear to my heart is giving back to society,” she said. “So 10 percent of my profits go to nonprofits and charitable organizations to give back and help the less fortunate. When customers shop here, they know it’s for a worthy cause.”
Some of the nonprofit organizations and charities Armario De La Bella supports include Adonai Ministries and Restore A Child, both Christian organizations based in Maryland. Recently, Sofola also participated as a vendor in the annual iGoPink event, and she has plans to expand her charitable contributions to local Montgomery County organizations in the future.
Although Armario De La Bella does not carry men’s clothing, Sofola said that may be something she considers adding in the boutique’s future. Additionally, Sofola said she hopes to build a second location, although she is not sure where.
The boutique also offers personalized styling consultations and places great emphasis on providing quality customer service.
“When I was a university student, I worked at a Macy’s in Atlanta,” Sofola said. “I remember every time we had a customer, we had to take down their information and write a personalized note to say, ‘Thank you for shopping here’—they don’t do that any more.”
To ensure Armario De La Bella does not lose its personal touch, Sofola makes her customers a top priority.
“Customers like to have a personal touch because it makes them feel special,” she said. “So that’s what we do at Armario De La Bella, and that’s why we have customers that keep coming back.”
