Closet Boutique Comes to Chestnut Hill

Trendy but comfortable apparel, high-quality denim and unique accessories are the themes behind Closet Boutique, a new clothing boutique coming to Chestnut Hill in just a few weeks. Sisters Lauren and Robin Anzalone, the boutique's owners, focus on cute, casual and chic looks—and they think their boutique could really fill a niche in the neighborhood.

The Anzalone sisters, who hail from Avalon, NJ, are not new to the business. Six years ago, they opened the original Closet Boutique in Avalon.

"We grew up on the island, and we always enjoyed fashion," Lauren Anzalone explained. "We knew we wanted to work together, and when we saw the [open retail space in Avalon], we felt like it was exactly what we needed."

Closet Boutique has been met with enough success that the Anzalone sisters were able to expand—and chose Chestnut Hill as the location for their second store.

"We visited [Chestnut Hill] and loved it," Anzalone said. "The area is really charming, and there's a really good business community. [Chestnut Hill Retail Recruiter] Eileen [Reilly] introduced me to business owners here, and everyone was so nice. And, there's not really a store like ours there. We really felt there's a niche for us."

And what exactly is that niche?

"We like to be trendy and go for what's in now, but we also go for comfort," Anzalone explained. "… Everything's easily wearable, and … we try to go for cute, casual, and chic."

At the same time, Anzalone says, everyone can find something they like. "[Our clientele is] everyone from girls in high school to my mom, who's in her 60s."

The Chestnut Hill Closet Boutique officially opens on Oct. 1, but eager shoppers can see the store for the first time on Sept. 23 from 6 to 9 p.m., for Chestnut Hill's "Fall Into Fashion" celebration.

In the meantime, the Anzalone sisters are actively buying for the boutique and taking day trips to the store to stage it in preparation for the Sept. 23 opening. A lot of the buying is done following visits to showrooms in New York, as well as a lot of research.

Some of the designers the sisters regularly buy from include Black Halo, Tibi, T-Bags, Ella Moss, William Rast, and Earnest Sewn.

"If something strikes us, we contact the designer—and a lot of people contact us too," she explained. "Though we've pretty much stuck with the main designers we've had for a few years, we're always looking for ways to change things up."

Closet Boutique is located at 8428 Germantown Ave. and will open Oct. 1, with a preview event on Sept. 23 from 6 to 9 p.m.

The store's regular hours are not set in stone yet, but Closet Boutique will be open Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) and be open from mid-morning to early evening most days. Look for more about Closet Boutique on Patch in the coming weeks.