Just/Because at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime: Women-Owned, American-Made Apparel, Accessories & Home Goods

If you’ve wandered through The Bazaar lately and found yourself slowing down, touching everything, and thinking, “Yep, this is my vibe,” chances are you’ve stepped into Just/Because. One of our newer vendors, Just/Because officially joined the Bazaar family in May 2025, but owner Barbara Pugliese has had us on her radar for years. When the timing felt right, she took the leap, and we’re so glad she did.

Just/Because is a love letter to women-owned, American-made goods for you and your home. Barbara curates with intention, offering a beautifully layered mix of apparel, accessories, and eco-friendly home and kitchen items. The space feels warm, thoughtful, and quietly confident, like that friend whose style always looks effortless but is absolutely on purpose.

Barbara is often seen on Suncoast View showing off all her great gifts.

Watch one of the Suncoast View Segments Here

Barbara’s path here is rooted in retail through and through. After years of running and managing retail stores, she decided it was time to take a chance on herself. That leap included owning a standalone shop on St. Armands for over a decade, until Hurricane Helene changed everything. From loss came reinvention, and Just/Because found a new home inside The Bazaar, where resilience and creativity tend to bloom side by side.

What inspires Barbara most is creativity itself, the magic of seeing what people can make with their hands, ideas, and heart. That philosophy shows up in her booth, where everything is for sale (yes, everything… even the favorites). She curates what she genuinely loves, knowing that when something sells, it simply makes room to fall in love with the next thing.

When she’s not holding down her space at The Bazaar, Barbara is busy doing what she does best: working markets and helping a friend run their business. And here’s a fun twist you might not expect, she’s a formally trained chef who has worked in four-star restaurants in NYC and even a Michelin-rated restaurant in Italy. If you ever catch her talking pasta, lean in. She knows things.

Originally from Greenwich, CT and NYC, Barbara brings a big-city polish paired with genuine warmth. Her motto? “Look at you.” Short, simple, and somehow empowering, much like her brand.

If Barbara were stranded on an island, she’d want the people closest to her and a solid supply of pasta. Honestly, same.

Women-Owned, American-Made Apparel, Accessories & Home Goods inside Just/Because

Next time you’re at The Bazaar, make sure to stop by Just/Because. You might come for a beautifully made piece, but you’ll leave with a story, and probably something you didn’t know you needed… until you saw it.

We are thrilled she chose us to call home with her women-owned and American-made goods at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime. Visit Thursday - Saturday 10-3, and you won't be disappointed.