In a historic coastal city better known for its white-sand beaches than its fashion pedigree, Julia Ussery’s Scout boutique stands as a quiet force; one rooted in an aesthetic, a philosophy, and a tribute to refined individuality. Tucked into downtown Pensacola, Scout is a reflection of Ussery’s decades in New York fashion, her eye for detail, her command of proportion and silhouette, and most of all, her belief that fashion should never underestimate its audience.
“I’ve loved beautiful things for as long as I can remember,” she reflects. That love took root in an unexpected leap of faith. After leaving her job in investment banking in New Orleans, she moved to New York to study at Parsons, where she thrived in the rigors of fashion design. “It was lucky and completely life changing,” she said.
What followed was an enviable ascent: first as an assistant designer at Calvin Klein in the ’90s, then later returning as design director, overseeing the CK line and guiding an entire team. “It was a different era in fashion,” she reflects. “Those years shaped me.” She eventually rose to vice president of design at Elie Tahari, where more than 30 designers, working 7 product lines, reported to her.
Despite the breakneck pace and prestige of Manhattan’s fashion industry, her heart remained tethered to her hometown. “I always knew I wanted to come home,” she says. “New York is my favorite place on Earth, but I’m very close to my family, and after starting my family, it was clear. It was time.” For five years, she commuted between Pensacola and Manhattan, holding onto both worlds until it became untenable. That turning point led to the inception of Scout, a boutique born from a lifetime of vision, global sensibility, and refined taste.
The boutique’s name came to her intuitively: “Scout,” a nod to discovery, curation, and the perpetual hunt for what’s next. Inside, the space is equal parts gallery and atelier. “Every piece in the store has to earn its place,” she says. “I might not wear everything I bring in, but I have to love it. If I don’t, it doesn’t belong here.”
It’s a philosophy rooted in expertise. Her understanding of design, the cut of a jacket, the texture of denim, the engineering behind a silhouette, informs every decision. “These are not just jeans,” she says of brands like R13. “This is Japanese denim. It’s about the fiber, the wash, the way it fits. Every detail is intentional. That matters.”
That integrity is felt in every square foot of the boutique, from its clean lines to the finely edited racks of labels like R13, Nili Lotan, and Ulla Johnson. Securing some of these brands took years of persistence and proof that Pensacola’s clientele would support them. “It was validating,” Ussery says. “To get those approvals meant Scout had earned its place.”
To Ussery, luxury is less about labels and more about intention. “The craftsmanship behind a great piece, the stitching, the structure, the way it fits a real body, that’s what excites me, that’s architecture,” she says.
She curates for an audience she knows intimately, an ever-expanding group of women Julia considers family. “My clients range from women in their twenties to their eighties. Some are dressing for weddings in Italy, others for every day, and all of them value quality, intention, and individuality. I want Scout to be a place where they’re seen. We know what they like. Sometimes we shop the store for them bringing pieces to their homes or offices. We tailor, alter, customize. If something needs to be done in a day, we try to make it happen.”
Style, for Julia, is never about trend-chasing. “I think the idea of ‘what’s in’ is over. It’s really about personal expression now. Wide-leg, skinny, bright, neutral, it’s all ‘in’ if it suits you. Timelessness is what lasts.”
Scout has also played a role in elevating the creative culture of Pensacola. Julia has produced two fashion shows that benefitted local organizations. Shows that she says “could have happened in New York,” both in production quality and originality. “It’s important for me to use creativity in a community-forward way,” she says. “But it also has to make sense as a business. That’s the balance.”
What does luxury mean to her now? “Time,” she says without hesitation. “Time to be in my store, to be with my family, to create. That’s the ultimate luxury.”
From New York’s runways to Pensacola’s streets, Ussery’s journey is a testament to trusting your instincts, honoring your eye, and building something with soul. Scout isn’t just a boutique. It’s a living, evolving expression of art, fashion, and fearlessness, curated one piece at a time.
SCOUT | 403 S Palafox | 850.607.7105 | @scout_boutique
“The craftsmanship behind a great piece, the stitching, the structure...that’s what excites me, that’s architecture,”