H2O: 4830 Wharf Pkwy, Suite 102, Orange Beach, Alabama 36561
about us (history)
H.L. Hood, a family owned retail clothing store, recently celebrated 25 years in business. The upscale women’s clothing store was established in 1982 and opened March 1983 by Heather Hood. She is a University of Alabama graduate in clothing, textiles and design and costuming with post graduate study in Paris. Jo Hood, her brother, also a University of Alabama graduate with degrees in English and Philosophy, became a partner in the business in 1984. The balance of different perspectives, yet common vision, has kept the store interesting and fresh.
The original store was 350 square feet, located in Gulf Shores, next door to Coconut Willie’s restaurant. The business expanded a few years later to Alabama Point in Orange Beach, eventually closing the Gulf Shores location in favor of Orange Beach. This was home for the next 15 years when the need for expansion caused a move to the San Roc Cay marina. At San Roc the women’s clothing, shoes and accessories occupied the entire upstairs of one building, while the newly expanded swimwear store was located on the courtyard level. The store now boasted 9000 square feet. After Hurricane Ivan hit the area in 2004, the staff packed what was left of the store and opened shop temporarily and very briefly, in Birmingham at Patton Creek. During the summer, customers were frequently waiting in line to try on swimwear and the need for expansion of this department was inevitable. In the spring of 2007, H20 was opened at The Wharf, as an independent swimwear store owned by H.L. Hood. With the ever-changing face of retail, and the local landscape, it was decided that it was necessary to reunite the stores somewhat. On June 20th, 2008, H.L. Hood moved all operations to The Wharf. H.L Hood is located on Main Street and H20 is around the corner on Wharf Parkway. The swimwear store is approximately 6000 square feet and the clothing store around 5000.
H.L. Hood sells a constantly changing mix of clothing, shoes and accessories. We sell better priced merchandise featuring designers such as DKNY, CP Shades, Russ Berens, Alberto Makali, Three Dot, Trina Turk and Surrealist. On many days our diverse staff finds themselves assisting three generations of women at the same time. We believe fashion should be fun, interesting, and new, fitting the customer instead of the other way around. We adhere to the philosophy that we know where the “cutting edge” is, and walk around there, but see no sense in jumping off the cliff! We think your clothing should reflect your individual personality, fit your body, and make you feel like a million bucks. Our large and diverse shoe department features names such as Donald Pliner, Born, Cole Haan, Perlina and Matisse.
H20 offers swimwear for most every woman. We specialize in fit and making what can be a harrowing experience fun. We carry names such as Gottex, La Blanca, Juicy Couture, Sunsets, Vitamin A, Gideon Oberson, Betsy Johnson, Lucky Brand, It Figures and much more. We also have some pre teen selections from Submarine, Gossip Girl and Point Conception. We offer full figure suits for young women and young at heart. We can fit you with a matching cover up, casual shoes by Volatile, Sanuk, or Cobain and sunglasses by Prada, Dolce and Gabanna, Versace and Betsy Johnson.