With an ‘Arsenal’ of New Designs and Product, Sam & Davy Is a One-Stop Last-Minute Gift Shop

Whether you've called Houston home your whole life or are a recent transplant, the love for this city is strong. One family's desire to pair their H-Town pride with fashionable clothes and accessories manifested into Sam & Davy, an online store that made the move to brick-and-mortar with a River Oaks boutique. With the window for holiday shopping narrowing, this small but mighty local business is a one-stop-shop for the proud Houstonian in your life.

Located on West Gray, Sam & Davy has everything from Texas-themed hoodies and beanies emblazoned with the brand's signature saying, "Houston is Everything," to accessories galore. "Before we settled down in Houston with our girls, we were traveling a lot," explains Gemini Quintos, one-half of the power-couple store owners (they're also the designers). "Chris [Blodgett, her husband], a proud born-and-raised Houstonian, always wanted to rep his roots wherever we went. We found that a lot of Houston and Texas shirts were either very sports-forward, or were louder and busier than is our style. He wanted something he could wear on a night out, something he could throw a nice jacket over and get dinner and drinks." The pair started with simple polo shirts and t-shirts with a small embroidery of the shape of Texas on the left breast. "As we've expanded, we've tried to keep that simple, minimalist look, a versatile aesthetic that goes with any style and can be worn anywhere."

But sports fans can still rejoice, as the entrepreneurs recently teamed up with local Houston professional soccer teams to create a line of sleek, fashionable clothing items to sell. "A few months ago we were approached by the Houston Dynamo and Dash to do an official collaboration on their recent rebranding," the couple explains. "We designed a collection of shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets incorporating their new logos, and the full collection is available at our shop and online." Kids clothing is also for sale to help little Houstonians rep their roots.

The global health crisis may have thrown the business's trajectory off course initially, but the savvy couple pivoted to meet the moment and keep their doors open. "We were able to keep things going with sales, free shipping, curbside pickup, and of course the incredible support of friends and customers, and customers-turned-friends," Quintos explains, noting that the store reopened in June with an "arsenal of fresh designs — thanks, quarantine!" as well as new products ("Hello, masks!").

Quintos says that noon on Friday, Dec. 18, is the cutoff for online orders that need to be delivered by Christmas, and notes that curbside pickup remains an option for those who don't wish to shop in-store.