PHOTOS by Carla Christian
Heather Schoch opened her Battle Ground shop, Hot 2 Trot, to meet a need for women’s western-style clothing, accessories and décor.
Cowgirls, and not-so-cowgirls, have a new place to buy colorful western-inspired clothing and accessories in Old Town Battle Ground.
Heather Schoch opened her new shop, Hot 2 Trot, on Battle Ground’s Main Street on June 1. Schoch is a long time cowgirl, and she has many friends in the horse world, she said. She heard people saying they wished they had a local place to shop for stylish western wear, and the idea took hold.
“It was only 4 months from when I decided to do it until we opened,” she said. And, Schoch laughed, she opened her shop without having worked a day in retail. “I shopped a lot but I never worked in a store,” she said with her ready smile.
She had a vision for the store she wanted to create though. Clothing would be comfortable and easy to wear, as well as affordable. It would have a western style, with just enough bling. And the styles would look as good on the street as they do in the saddle.
Schoch tries to have something for everyone, she said. Hot 2 Trot sells clothing for women from size Extra Small to size 3x Extra Large, and extended sizes from 14/16 to 36/38. Now she gets requests for tall sizes, she laughed.
Loose, colorful tops hang alongside neatly folded stacks of blue jeans with blinged-out back pockets. “I call it Western wear with a flair,” said Schoch.
The store has a laid-back western vibe, with weathered wood décor, rustic tables and chairs, and hand-made clothing racks and shelves. Schoch’s husband and a friend made it all. “It’s been a family affair,” she said.
The rough-hewn tables are for sale, alongside unique hand-crafts and artwork are consigned by local artisans. She is always looking for more crafters who want to consign stylish accessories, Schoch said.
“I go through so many vendors looking every day for clothes that are fun and functional,” she said. “What I have in here is stuff I would wear.”
Schoch also plans to add women’s western boots soon, since she hears frequent requests for them.
Schoch has plans for a rotating schedule of fun activities and rotating at the store. She will be featuring a new artist each month who works in a different medium. And she will have special events for the holidays, just in time for her long-time favorite, Halloween. Her eyes lit up as she brainstormed spooky decorations for Battle Ground’s Halloween Fun Fest on Main Street.
A coloring table is set up for kids in a sunny corner, and October will feature a Halloween Coloring contest for kids, with a prize for the winner.
Hot 2 Trot is open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 602 E. Main St. in Battle Ground. Follow them on facebook at www.facebook.com/hot2trotbg, or call (360) 342-8185.
