SLO County shop adorns clients with colorful, unique eyewear — and it’s growing
An Atascadero boutique that has adorned clients in unique, colorful eyewear for five years just expanded into a new spot in the city’s historic downtown sector.
Specs by Kyla, owned by local optician Kyla Skinner, recently moved to 5915 El Camino Real, across from the recently renovated, historic Carlton hotel, the Whiskey and June cocktail bar and Atrium Mercantile.
The move came after Skinner said the business outgrew its previous Traffic Way location.
She spotted a “for lease” sign on the downtown location and worked with the landlord to restore some of the historic charm and color on the building’s interior.
Tuesday marked the shop’s first day open in the new location — and so far, Skinner told The Tribune, the move was a success.
“It’s going really good,” she said with a smile. “I’m loving the energy and the feel of the space.”
Shop that started as ‘secret club’ has grown into recognizable brand
Amid the array of different colors, shapes and metals at Specs by Kyla, you won’t see frames by the well-known brands like Ray-Ban or Oakley that are typically carried by many opticians.
That’s because Skinner only carries independent eyewear brands, with a focus on craftsmanship and durability.
“They’re smaller companies,” Skinner told The Tribune. “I’ve met the designers and makers. A lot of them are very sustainably made too, so just more of a personal connection with the owners and designers, and they stand behind their product too.”
“If I need something for one of my clients, they make it happen,” she added.
Carrying those unique frames also allows Skinner to help clients explore their personal style — something she said was one of her favorite parts of her job.
“I love helping people express their personality through their eyewear, and when they get a million compliments on their frames, they feel so good about themselves,” she said.
She added that the job has allowed her to learn more about her clients and community.
“Getting to know who they are, who they want to be, and then just kind of nudging them a little bit too, sometimes pushing people to just step a little bit out of their comfort zone, and then they end up loving it,” she said.
While Skinner said her shop, which first launched in 2021, started out as a sort of “secret club,” it has now grown to the point where her clients can recognize each other on the street — just by their eyewear.
That sense of community is important to Skinner, who said she didn’t know many people in town when she first started the business.
“It felt very intimidating and overwhelming,” she said. “But now I just, I feel so embraced by the community support, also through the Chamber and through the city. Like, everybody’s been super supportive.”
Eyewear boutique carries a mission of giving back
Over the past five years, Skinner has donated thousands of dollars to family-support organizations in the area — specifically those that support foster children or help keep at-risk families together.
That cause is personal to Skinner, who was adopted out of foster care and met her birth mother in 2019.
“We corresponded for about three months before she passed away,” Skinner told The Tribune.
After she passed, Skinner received an inheritance from her birth mom — which is what she used to start her business.
“I felt like I was given a big gift from her to follow to be able to reach my dreams,” she said. “And so I just felt strongly about trying to give back to the community and support families that might be struggling as a way of just like, expressing my gratitude.”
According to a news release, Skinner has donated more than $6,000 to support organizations like Seneca, the Family Care Network and ECHO.
New location aligns with change in downtown sector
Skinner told The Tribune she’s excited to be a part of the growth in downtown Atascadero.
The city last year completed construction on El Camino Real, installing medians, greenery, streetlights, parking and pedestrian crossings to enhance the city’s downtown.
While managing business during construction was difficult, Skinner said she’s happy with how it turned out.
“I see so many people out walking around, and I feel like the energy has just elevated so much,” she said.
For more information
Specs by Kyla is open at 5915 El Camino Real from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, according to its website. Both appointments and walk-ins are welcome.
The shop does not offer medical optometry services — but clients can bring in their prescription to get new glasses fitted. The shop also cuts lenses on site, Skinner said.
The website said the shop is not in-network with any vision plans, but can fill out out-of-network paperwork with an itemized receipt to help clients receive reimbursements.
