Opening Tula, an upscale women's boutique at 3738 N. Southport Ave., has pleased not only area shoppers but also the shop's owners.

"It's just a friendly neighborhood and people appreciate what we offer," said Laura Westgate, 25.

Laura and her mother, Susan Westgate, are co-owners of Tula and aren't new to selling stylish women's clothing. The Westgates have been running Panache, a boutique in Grand Haven, Mich., for 17 years, and Laura said that she started working at Panache when she was 12.

However, Laura said, "My mom had always thought it would be fun to open a shop here" in Chicago. Then when they saw the vintage brownstone building that's about 100 years old that now houses Tula, Laura says, "We thought it was a really cute space. It looks like a house." Then they opened Tula in November last year.

Browse through the small but spotless store, and you'll find stylish lightweight sweaters as well as attractive, fitted shirts and T-shirts. Elegant, flowy, short-sleeved dresses and cute, fashionable suits and trousers also fill the racks. Tank tops with intricate beading, a black silk sleeveless shirt with a ruffle collar and a sexy royal blue evening dress with satin-soft material are among the fashionable finds.

Talking about Tula, Laura said, "It's about things that just have a good style and that have a good aesthetic." Also, she said, "We focus on quality fabrics and lines that fit well."

Tula carries chic clothes by designers that include Mint, Vera Wang, Nicole Miller, Geren Ford, Hache, Organic and Three Dot.

Cathy Geraghty, of East Lakeview, visited Tula for the first time on a recent Thursday evening and said, "I thought it was great. They have a really nice selection of wearable clothes. There's a nice mix of classic clothes with a little bit of a twist to it."

She said she likes a long chocolate-colored T-shirt that she bought because it's comfortable and easy to wear, and she says that it'll help update her wardrobe. "It's not trendy," she said, adding that she likes the T-shirt because it's long enough so that she can wear a belt around it.

Besides featuring clothes, Tula also carries handbags, belts, jewelry and some glass vases. Seaweed and rosemary body wash, lavender soap and other bath products fill the store as well.

Many customers are women with small children, and most tend to be in their late 30s to mid 40s, Laura said. Many come to look for items to wear to special occasions, she said. "People say the shop has a good feeling to it," she said. "They admire how it looks."

Helen Corsentino, visiting Tula for the first time, said, "It's a really cute store" and "It's bright. It's almost like walking into your home."

Laura, who said she likes the Organic brand of clothes for its choice dyes and fabrics used in sweaters and other clothes, used to work as an editor at a local real estate magazine but said she wanted to be her own boss, and since she always has liked following fashion, she said she enjoys working at Tula.

As for what's hot, Laura said that rich greens, magenta, sapphire and emerald are popular colors, and sequins and embellishments are pretty big. Also, she said, "People seem to like European lines a lot." Some pencil skirts and waist belts and hip belts also are a hit.

Besides having fashion smarts from helping to run her mom's boutique in Michigan, Laura said that to keep up with clothing lines and trends, she goes to the market in New York and reads Women's Wear Daily.

Joyce Bookshester, a regular customer, said she likes the range of merchandise at Tula. "I like the fact that both my daughter and I can shop here and find clothes that meet our individual styles," she said.