Studying in Paris during college and later working in New York City taught Deerfield native Allyson Holleb to appreciate the individual style that every person in those cities seems to possess. It also helped her develop a keen interest in handbags and accessories.

After working as an event planner for a public relations firm and then spending four years as a women's clothing buyer for Eileen Fisher in New York City, Holleb returned home. Then she channeled her love for unique handbags and accessories into Bess and Loie, a charming, high-end purse and accessories boutique that recently opened at 1015 W. Lake Street in the West Loop.

Wearing a long, flowing green sundress, Holleb, 30, of Wicker Park, says that customers often tell her that they feel really comfortable at Bess and Loie, which she named after her two style-savvy grandmothers. "They feel like they're at home," she says as we chat from a couple of powder blue chairs that invite you to hang out at the shop for a while.

A high-end handbag boutique could easily feel stuffy and intimidating, but Bess and Loie feels welcoming and homey, whether you are buying or browsing. Old framed photos, which capture Bess and Loie looking lovely at different times in their lives, sit on a dark wooden dresser and other furniture around the store. Some of the furniture at the shop used to belong to Holleb's grandmothers.

On a recent afternoon Jennifer Bluford, 28, and Nimisha Jain, 26, both of Chicago, wander in during a break from their work at a nearby marketing firm.

Bluford recently bought a "cute little leopard print" makeup case at the shop and says that Bess and Loie is a great addition to the neighborhood.

"It's nice because you'll find purses here that you can't find anywhere else," Bluford says. "It's non-commercial, and they have free candy."

"Even though it's a boutique, it's not uppity," says Jain, who is rocking a pink T-shirt with skinny jeans.

Holleb says she chose the West Loop location because "I wanted to be part of a new, emerging neighborhood" rather than one that has already exploded.

Purses at Bess and Loie are displayed to impress. Some sit on shelves made from pulling out drawers of a tall wooden display case, while others hang from a wire fence at the back of the store. An old-school suitcase propped open reveals many small makeup bags by Steph & Co.

Purses range from $200 to $800, jewelry costs $50 to $300, and men's ties, jewelry and bags run from $50 to $800. Whimsical ties are made by local designer Lee Allison.

Bluford and Jain wander around the store, admiring different handbags. Bluford picks up a black patent bag that Holleb says is called a market bag and was made in Paris. As Jain picks up an attractive peach-colored purse with sturdy white handles, Holleb approves, calling the shimmery peach color "delicious."

As Bluford and Jain wonder out loud what other bags are new, Holleb opens a large box just delivered to the shop, pulling out a large brown leather purse with elegantly braided handles. Then she pulls out a clutch that Jain likes, and Bluford tells Jain to try it out. Jain strikes a pose and holds it close to her right hip.

"You have to try on purses, just like you try on clothes, right?" Holleb says.

After Bluford and Jain head back to work, Holleb talks more about her grandmothers. She says that Bess, who lives in Denver, has a casual, practical, elegant style. On the other hand, Loie, who is deceased and used to live in Chicago, had a more sophisticated, urban style.

"They were always very stylish," Holleb says.

Maybe Bess would like a Carrie Valentine roll-up clutch, and perhaps Loie would have gone for a Hayden Harnett oversized hobo bag and fun, colorful charm necklaces by local designer Joanne Lysiak.

Although Holleb surely inherited some fashion genes from Bess and Loie, Holleb says she became fascinated by the one-of-a-kind handbags that she saw in windows and on the streets of Paris. She studied there during college at the University of Wisconsin, where she studied journalism. Talking about Paris, she says, "It's so ahead in terms of shoes and bags."

Also, because she walked everywhere in Paris, she was constantly passing store windows and observing people on the streets. "Everyone has a sense of style" in Paris and New York City, she says, but "it's never in your face."

Holleb usually orders only one or two purses of a certain style, so you won't run into anyone with your favorite new bag. She finds all of her individual handbags from working in New York, attending trade shows, reading magazines and tracking down brands via the Internet. And sometimes she'll approach someone and say, "I don't mean to be rude, but may I look inside your purse?"

As for new purse trends this fall, Holleb says to expect purses made of patent, or shiny vinyl-like, material, and count on seeing handbags in metallic colors and colors that have a bit of shimmer.

Ultimately, though, you have to go with your gut when you pick out a new purse, Holleb says. "Nothing is in or out," she says. "If you think it looks good on you, it probably does."