Phyllis

I was wandering by and a beautiful handmade sculptural shawl in the window caught my eye. I went in to look around and was greeted by two lovely ladies. I spent about 20 minutes chatting with both Phyllis and her assistant and found them both warm and welcoming. Their clothes and jewelry are beautifully made and have a unique artistic touch. This is a great addition to downtown Palo Alto. For those of you who thought they were not friendly, I would encourage you to go again and start a conversation. I think that you will find you were mistaken. I rarely write reviews, but felt compelled to do so for this unique shop.

I first visited this store over 20 years ago. I splurged and bought a fabulous necklace that I wear and get compliments on to this day. I believe that Phyllis herself helped me. At the time, the clothes seemed to be for an older woman and a little pricey for me, but now that I’m older and richer, I decided to give the store a try again since I was in town. Bleh! The woman working in the store was NOT Phyllis. She was rude and snooty and told me that the clothes I was looking at would not fit me. I held it together and asked if there was anything in the store that might fit my size ¹²⁄₁₄ frame. She sniffed and pulled out a shirt sort of like an artist’s smock. I’m ashamed to admit that I bought it (the color and material were very nice) but now I feel bad whenever I see it in my closet.
By contrast, I walked over to J. Foss, where I was treated like a VIP, and walked out with a complete outfit that I love and that makes me feel good.
Maybe my experience would have been different if the owner had been present. I see that other reviewers have had similarly variable experiences with service.

Wow. I don’t even know what to say. This is the first time I’ve felt discriminated against since… I can’t remember when. Its diversity city here in downtown Palo Alto afterall. My friend and I walked in, smiled and said hi to the lady here, she looked at us and then through us, not responding at all. We looked around for a few minutes at the cute clothing. She never came near us. Then the second we walked out the door she clicked it locked behind us. We were barely outside. Guess Asians are not welcomed here?

My impression of the owner, I assumed it was the owner, was that my money and my race were not welcomed here. Beyond rude.

too bad Eva left. the new people are rude… i have been shopping at Phyllis fir 20 years but i am going there less and less. the new blonde lady is very rude

I’ve had an odd up and down relationship here, but recent changes on their part make my part really happy. For me there are three fashion destinations in Palo Alto:
Phyllis
J Foss
Blu (sister store Cielo would count but they are so snoooooty)
There’s also the jewelry shop Di Novo which has stellar things but the staff can be suckage.
Anyway, the focus of this review should stay on Phyllis. GREAT CLOTHES.

While the fashions in here are not my typical style (I am 35, 5’0″, 95lbs) I can always find a fun and unique top or jacket to compliment my more form-​fitting attire. It is definitely worth popping in to browse the racks to find something that none of your friends will be wearing, and won’t break the bank! Great customer service, excellent quality fabrics. The ladies who work here are a hoot and they won’t let you buy anything that doesn’t look great!

I have been shopping at Phyllis for over twenty seven years.
It is the only clothing store I shop in-​it is literally my favorite store ever.
The taste level of the clothing, displays, and interior space are all top notch. Both Phyllis and Eva (owner and manager) are passionate about dressing and consider it an art form They are honest sales people and very fun to shop with!

I love this place. Not since living in LA have I been able to find good, one-​off boutiques and this one solves the problem (too bad there aren’t thirty more like it in the bay area).
Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because last time I went in, there wasn’t any shoe collection to speak of anymore. I got my favorite pair of shoes there three years ago, and want them to start buying shoes again!

This is the best store in all of palo alto. Eva will not let you buy anything unless you look fabulous in it. The brands and quality here cannot be beat. If you dont like looking like everyone else and appreciate a little edge then drop by.

Okay– first off, I have to say that their clothes are fabulous– straight up– no contest. I have been spending lots and lots of money here over the years, and it was my favorite place to get something truly unique. I moved away from the peninsula to SF and had not been here in a long time, until yesterday, I went in, and I was planning on spending some money.until.I picked up something off the rack that I thought I would try and see if it would fit– I am not sure of the lady’s name that worked there, but she had short grey hair, and she came up to me, and said «are you planning on trying that on?» I said yes, and she loudly says, well it won’t fit– it is equivalent to a size 6, and she took it out of my hands and put it back on the rack. Okay, so I did not realize it was an «italian size 42» and was sort of embarrassed when the other patrons were looking at me like I was crazy. I am not a fat ass, by any stretch of the imagination, but I was sort of turned off at that point. If she could totally tell how big I was she could have made suggestions as to what in the store would be my size, like they have done in the past. I truly love their one of a kind clothing, and would love to go in again, but that was sort of unprofessional, and not what I would have expected from the workers there.

The best fashion in Palo Alto, without a doubt. Impeccable taste, consistently. And we love the proprieter, Phyllis, and her lovely first mate, Eva. They know their shit. It’s dangerous and I always spend too much money … but I am always happy with my purchases. isn’t that what it’s all about?