Profile

Adele Berne and Michael Kuhle drew on their combined experience in fashion and retail to launch Epaulet in 2008. Housed in what used to be a funky sweater shop called Ohio Knitting Mills, the Carroll Gardens clothing store has lots of natural light, hardwood floors, magenta walls, and a white neon chandelier. Catering to design-conscious Manhattanites turned dog- and baby-toting Brooklynites, Epaulet stocks both recognizable styles, like easy-to-wear Tracy Reese knit dresses, and more quirky ones, like Minnetonka Moccasins. Menswear includes urban updates on classics, like pinstripe button-up shirts with fabric-covered buttons by Modern Amusement and nautically inspired shirts and tees by Maine-based Rogues Gallery. A full line of cocktail-party-ready dresses by Christopher Deane, denim by Cheap Monday, and fashion-forward footwear highlight the eclectic inventory for women. And the miscellany runs the gamut from leather-bound journals by teNeues to fair-trade woven handbags from Mad Imports to super-soft cotton T-shirts with cartoons by local artist Tom Eaton. — Kaija Helmetag