A Western Wardrobe Finds a New Home on Fort Worth’s Historic Bricks
Women's boutique scheduled to open in late August
By Stephen Montoya
On Camp Bowie Boulevard, where generations of Fort Worth shoppers have come to find everything from fine dining to handmade boots, a new storefront is preparing to add another chapter to the story of one of the city’s most recognizable commercial corridors.
This August, Southern House Clothing will open its doors at 4001 Camp Bowie Boulevard, bringing a mix of Western-inspired fashion, everyday apparel, jewelry, and accessories to The Bricks. For owners Morgan and Toby Semler, the storefront represents more than a new business venture — it is the culmination of years spent traveling the country, building a loyal following one rodeo, holiday market, and pop-up show at a time.
“We started in 2019,” Toby said. “We were mainly doing road shows only. We would do the big ones like NFR (National Finals Rodeo) out in Vegas, and the Houston Nutcracker. That’s a really big show.”
Those traveling shows became the foundation for Southern House Clothing. At every stop, customers kept asking the same question: When would the Semler’s open a permanent location?
Eventually, the right opportunity appeared.
“This spot came available, and it just kind of lined up,” he said about the new store still under construction.
For Morgan, the move into retail was a natural extension of a lifelong connection to fashion. Her grandparents once owned a clothing store in Brownfield, near Lubbock, where she spent summers surrounded by the rhythms of a small-town shop.
“She kind of grew up going out there in the summer, spending weeks at a time out there, and kind of fell in love with it all,” Toby said. “She’s really always been into fashion. She can put stuff together like on one else.”
That eye for style has become the backbone of Southern House Clothing. The store will offer a range of Western and contemporary looks designed for women of all ages — from rodeo weekends and concerts to date nights and everyday wear.
The inventory will include women’s clothing, accessories, jewelry, boots, sneakers, and pieces from roughly two dozen brands. Morgan personally selects much of the merchandise, working with wholesalers and curating collections that reflect Southern House’s blend of Western tradition and modern style.
“She’s got a really good eye for it,” Toby said.
The store’s customer base has already proven that the appeal stretches across generations.
“Our clientele is anywhere from 12 years old up to eighty,” Toby said. “Morgan kind of has a wide range of fits in everybody’s style.”
While Morgan handles the fashion side, Toby has taken on the transformation of the space itself. A longtime home builder through his company Newcastle Builders, Toby approached the renovation with the same craftsmanship he brings to his construction projects.
The approximately 2,500-square-foot space, with about 2,000 square feet dedicated to retail, has undergone a complete transformation. The couple replaced the flooring, updated the dressing rooms, removed walls, added custom cabinetry, installed new racks, and opened up the space to highlight the building’s historic character.
“It was like grayish brown. It was very dark, kind of closed off,” Toby said of the former store Scentimentals Boutique.
“There was a big wall in the front of the store. We just completely got rid of it.”
The renovation embraces the building’s history rather than hiding it. Natural light, original architectural details, and the character of an older Fort Worth storefront will remain part of the experience.
“It’s cool that we kind of have the patina of Old Fort Worth right here,” he said.
Southern House will also add a few unmistakable Western touches, including a life-size horse display and a large mural on the side of the building painted by Fort Worth artist Amy Brines who is better known as “She Draws on Walls.”
For the Semlers, the storefront at 4001 Camp Bowie Boulevard is more than a place to sell clothing. It is the permanent home they spent years working toward — a chance to plant roots in one of Fort Worth’s most recognizable corridors while bringing the Western style that built their following to a new audience.
After years of loading up for rodeo shows and traveling markets across the country, Southern House Clothing is finally getting the storefront customers had been asking for since the beginning.
Visit them @
Southern House Boutique
4001 Camp Bowie Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76107
