50 Reasons to Get Out & Shop

Fashion from Nova Lorraine’s

You can tell a lot about a county from the way its residents shop. While researching this year’s crop of 50 brand-new stores, here’s what we
have learned about Westchester County residents. You want city-quality fashion—but at suburban prices. Your homes’ styles are as complex and eclectic as your wardrobes. You want your little ones to be the most fashionably dressed on the playground. And you can never, ever say “no” to a good bargain.

Men’s and Women’s Fashion

Buttermilk Blue Jeans

(914) 591-6277 www.buttermilkbluejeans.com

SHOPPING at Buttermilk Blue Jeans is like stepping into your coolest friend’s closet. The boutique carries women’s fashions from such hip designers as Free People, DA-Nang, Ella Moss, and Acrobat, and has an enormous selection of funky tees from Velvet, Splendid, C&C California, and others. Buttermilk Blue Jeans also has a huge collection of Paul Frank—his signature Julius the Monkey character can be found on loads of clothes—including graphic tees and accessories (we loved the pretty purple PF tunic for $96). And, of course, there’s the shop’s namesake blue jeans. Shelves and shelves of them, in every cut and shade.

David’s Fine Menswear 

, Shrub Oak (914) 528-5700 www.davidsclothier.com

DAVID’S Fine Menswear is the only retailer in the area to carry Ike Behar (a favorite designer of the Hollywood and Broadway sets) suits, sportcoats, and dress shirts. Don’t like Ike? Perhaps you’d prefer designs by Zanella, Robert Talbott, Jhane Barnes, and Tailor Byrd. Owner David Frank, a former Wall Street executive says, “I enjoy helping my customers create a unique look.” Frank can also create a complete custom look from suit to tie.

E.B. Barrett

, Larchmont (914) 834-7000

THIS “mother-daughter” fashion-and-accessories boutique is the brainchild of Ellen Grad, a former accessories buyer for Lord & Taylor. “It’s fun and not terribly serious,” Grad says. “We don’t carry real couture.” The idea for the shop was sparked by Grad’s frustrating experiences shopping with her daughter, now 16 years old. “I saw a zillion things for her and nothing for me.” The shop is thus targeted for shoppers from 12 to 60-plus, with lots of Lilly Pulitzer, the popular Splendid T-shirts, the celeb-favored Ella Moss line of stylish dresses and tunics, and Metalicus, a new line of sweaters and stretchy knit dresses from Australia.

March

, Briarcliff Manor (914) 923-2100 www.marchboutique.com

HOW did downtown find itself up-county? Owner Lynn Puro used her experience as a veteran SoHo shopper to bring a mix of city-style fashion and accessories to Briarcliff Manor. On her sleek black shelves, find a well-edited selection of edgy clothes by both established and up-and-coming designers, including C&C California, Trina Turk, Chip & Pepper, Calypso and Saja. “We could outfit someone completely for five-hundred dollars,” Puro says. And for men? There’s a men’s section—albeit a teeny one—with  rumpled-on-purpose Steven Alan Oxford shirts and Friend or Foe’s vintage tees. The section’s small, yes, but easy to find: just look for the poster of James Dean.

Nova Lorraine

, Mount Kisco (914) 864-1718 www.novalorraine.com

AFTER spending years working toward a PhD in clinical psychology, Nova Lorraine left graduate school for the Fashion Institute of Technology to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer. Five years later, she launched an award-winning, made-to-order eveningwear and custom bridal line in Manhattan. Last October, she opened her flagship store, bringing custom couture to Mount Kisco. Along one pale peach wall hang sequined and jeweled tops, silky skirts, and dresses. Freestanding racks hold all sorts of eveningwear, from slinky strapless gowns with low scooped backs (starting at $895) to lovely little suits (from $800). There are scarves ($85 to $300), bags ($85 to $395), jewelry ($125 to $325), sexy sleepwear and kimonos ($128 to $170). Check out the sale corner where you can fill a bag with up to four items for $199 (original prices $100 to $700).

Pink Tea Boutique

, Armonk (914) 730-0195

LOCATED right next door to Armonk fixture Lillies & Lace, this inviting 550-square-foot fashion boutique owner caters to women 30-plus. “We’re fashion-forward with a very distinctive hint of retro,” owner Char Hogue says. “We’re trendy but not too trendy, with some classical lines.” You’ll find tees and tanks plus handbags, belts, costume jewelry, and skin-care products.

P.J. Huntsman & Company

, Bronxville (914) 395-3959 www.pjhuntsman.com

PAT Colombo’s PJ Huntsman carries high-end men’s and women’s fashions, many of which can’t be found anywhere else in Westchester. Take, for instance, the wool and tweed coats made by a small, family-owned studio in Ireland. Or the Schneider line of jackets, made from alpaca wool and imported from Austria. Or the playfully patterned ties and boxer shorts that hail from Spain and Italy. There are even a few children’s and baby items made by a family friend. Colombo’s shop tailors and provides made-to-measure shirts and jackets along with personal shopping. “We service our customer to death,” he says.

Suede

, Larchmont (914) 834-2070 www.shopsuede.com

OPENED in September by Debbi Jennings and Joan Zombeck, Suede carries high-end fashions and accessories for women 25 to 60. The sleek, clean-lined, 1,200-square-foot space carries a carefully edited selection of, Zombeck says, “wearable, classic looks with an edge.”  Designers represented: Barbara Bui, Nili Lotan, Missoni, Hanii Y, and Tory Burch. Suede also carries accessories. “We can completely outfit someone—from head to toe,” Zombeck maintains.

Wendy’s Closet 

(914) 457-8470

“CLASSIC fashion with a twist,” is how Wendy Hopkins describes her store, a sister store to the original one in Greenwich. “Wendy’s Closet is a store for women who want to be stylish versus trendy,” she says. “We focus on fit—because it doesn’t matter how great something looks on the hanger if it doesn’t have a great fit.” Brands carried include Lilla P and Johnny Was tees, Red Engine and David Kahn jeans, Tyler Boe and Margaret O’Leary sweaters, Elie Tahari suits, dresses, and sportswear. Hopkins’s yellow lab, Kam, splits his time between stores.

Jewelry & Accessories

Jewels by Joanne

(914) 713-1313 www.jewelsbyjoanne.net

A WONDERFUL little jewel box of a shop—just 500 square feet—Jewels by Joanne was opened in July by owner Joanne Fiedler, well known to local jewelry lovers for having worked alongside her mother-in-law, Anita Fiedler, at the former longtime Scarsdale fixture, Treasures in Jewelry. Fiedler’s shop carries sterling silver pieces starting at $30 to fine jewelry with precious stones. One example: a $15,000 classic diamond necklace.

Al’Ponte Boutique

, Ardsley (914) 231-5084 www.shopalponte.com

WARNING: It’s difficult to find Al’Ponte. It’s not only off Ardsley’s downtown strip, but you can’t even spot it from the street. But make an effort, because once inside the boutique, you’ll find striking high-end European accessories: Fendi watches, Chloé handbags, Yves Saint Laurent jewelry, Gucci bags, and more. Al’Ponte, which opened last September, recently has added some clothing into the mix, and its collection is mostly composed of our two favorite words: Juicy Couture.

Facets & Co.

, Hartsdale

(914) 949-3400 www.facetsandco.com

JEWELRY shop Facets co-owner John Serra and his wife, Sandy, met while both were teens working in their respective family jewelry stores in Manhattan’s

diamond exchange. They ended up merging their business lives by opening Facets in February. Among its inventory: $50 silver bracelets to $30,000 diamond necklaces. Exclusive to the store is co-owner Tito Caicedo’s own line of bone bracelets in silver, 24k or 18k gold, or platinum, with diamonds ($500 to $15,000). 

Free & Co.

, Katonah (914) 232-8200 www.afreeandco.com

THIS charming 800-square-foot jewelry shop was opened in June by Abigail Free. Free & Co. specializes in high-fashion designs. “We follow the trends,” says Free. Offerings run the gamut from fun jewelry that “you can wear with a bathing suit” to fine jewelry of gold and sterling silver with diamonds. Exclusive to Northern Westchester are the pop art-like designs of Dana David (her gold wire peace-sign earrings sell for $500), and the Hidalgo animal collection of colored enameled charms, rings, and bracelets ($800 to $1,100). Exclusive to the Northeast is Andrea Levine’s fine jewelry for dog lovers, such as the little dog bone of pave diamonds on an 18k gold chain necklace ($390) worn by Free & Co. client Marisol Thomas (wife of Rob).

Landsberg Jewelers

Brook

(914) 510-8920 www.landsbergjewelers.com

OPENED last August by Jeffrey and Jonathan Landsberg and their father, Norman, a longtime jeweler in Manhattan’s diamond district, this jewelry shop features an array of the most fashionable luxury designers’ ware, including the John Hardy collection handcrafted in Bali ($150 to $1,500); Gregg Ruth’s diamond bracelets and yellow diamond rings ($1,000 to $250,000); and Penny Preville’s antique-like gold and diamond pieces ($1,000+).

Children’s Fashion

Bella Blu 

311 Rte 22, Goldens Bridge (914) 232-5500

One-year-old Bella Blue is housed in a cute little gingerbread cottage, and it is just as cute inside, filled with everything a fashion-forward girl—from infant to teen—could want. “We sell lots of bar and bat mitzvah dresses here,” owner Linda Spano says. One company, Les Tout Petites, makes copies, er, interpretations, of designer duds in kiddie sizes, so moms and daughters can wear matching “Missoni” or “Michael Kors” dresses at significantly lower cost—say $100 rather than $1,000. The flip side to the fancy wear are the vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle tee shirts.

Groovy on Grand

, Croton-on-Hudson (914) 271-0700 www.groovyongrand.com

“COOL clothes for cool kids”—that’s how owners, former fashion designer Andrea Andrews and former finance executive Lisa Primeggia, describe their funky new shop, which until recently only carried girls’ sizes 2T to 16 and boys’ sizes 2T to 20. But, after seeing one too many high-schoolers disappointed that they’d grown too big for the boutique’s clothes, Andrews and Primeggia have started a juniors section for girls and young men. And prices? “You can always find something for less than twenty-five dollars,” Andrews claims.

Pepper Noodle Couture

(914) 921-2001 www.peppernoodlecouture.com

TAI Eisley and LaTasha Marbury, wives of Howard Eisley of the Denver Nuggets, and Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks, respectively, have scored a slam-dunk with their new venture, opened in August. “It’s a cross between something you’d find in Manhattan and Los Angeles,” Eisley says. “We carry trendy couture for infants to size fourteen—just like their parents wear, only smaller.” Thus, Little Giraffe blankets (Zahara Jolie-Pitt was snuggled in one for her People cover shot) and Kingsley T-shirts (little sister Shiloh made her photo debut in one); the Dwell luxury bedding line that adorns the nursery of Gwyneth Paltrow’s baby Apple (a four-piece crib set costs $297); and Appaman T-shirts favored by Madonna for baby David. And Pepper Noodle carries lots of boys’ clothing, e.g., Wonderboy cotton shirts, Claesens T-shirts, and Seven for All Mankind mini-jeans.

The Preppy Turtle

2 Depot Plaza, Bedford Hills (914) 666-8500 www.thepreppyturtle.com

KATHLEEN Luparello and Jennifer Hopf left their jobs in Manhattan’s Garment District after becoming mothers, but found that they missed working and missed the money. Their solution to both problems: The Preppy Turtle consignment shop. The store carries infant-through teen-size clothes for boys and girls along with maternity clothing, all at a fraction of the cost of new duds. There are toys, gift items, accessories, and home goods like bedding for youngsters and teens. “We now have about two-hundred-seventy consigners working with us,” Luparello says. The store splits the proceeds with the consigners, giving them 40 percent of the sale price. What doesn’t sell after 90 days is donated or returned. “Last year, we were able to donate one-thousand pounds of clothing to the Katonah Community Center,” she says. “We gave the unsold baby equipment to area shelters and books