JESS BOUTIQUE

Opposite: et s he p yo fin the perfect o tfit for ny occ sion top in or c s for person i e ppointment

Abo e: e the center of ttention in one of o r e eg nt e ening go ns or cockt i resses op eft: hop bright n be tif sep r tes ith co ors st in time for spring ottom eft: A itt e sp rk e ith e e ry from esigners ike ie os pict re e n i son i ie ort n o n more

In 2011, Alexis Pomerleau would have never imagined she would be at the helm of two successful brick and mortar shops in Burlington. At the time, Jess Boutique had just opened at its Church St. location with resounding love from the community. Originally the passion project of her cousin Jess Pomerleau-Halnon, Alexis can recall the whirlwind of opening day saying, t was just a urry of people coming in and trying on dresses. I don’t think any of us stopped moving from the minute we opened to when the doors closed.”

Above: Dazzling shoes and purses to add to any outfit.

Right: Brides can shop for special pieces for all their upcoming events! Find white dresses and accessories perfect for engagement parties, bridal showers, or even day-of.

Below: Make a statement with bold belts and bags!

After the untimely death of Jess from a courageous battle with breast cancer in 2020, Alexis has taken up her cousin’s work of running both the original Jess Boutique and it’s sister store, Expressions. With Jess’ mother, Dee Pomerleau, the stores are perfectly curated with a good eye for great designs and aesthetics. While both locations always keep the current trends and their customer base in mind, each store has a di erent specialty. ess outi ue caters to a clientele of 30s and beyond and specializes in more formal attire such as ball gowns, bridesmaids dresses and event wear. To match its elegant designs, The decor is just as sophisticated, with intricate window displays, seasonal ower arrangements and a dedicated dress gallery. “What I hear from a lot of people who come in [to Jess Boutique] is ‘wow this looks like it could be in New York City,’”says Alexis. Expressions, which is located right next door, has a slightly more casual feel. ou’ll find a lot of cottons and linens–mostly organic materials,” Alexis explains.Jess purchased the roughly 40-yearold business in 2019 and went to great lengths to preserve the aesthetic that the original owners had worked to curate, which feels chic and warm for customers looking to spend some time searching the racks.

Alexis explains that while they want to carry the most sought after designs for their customers, they always want each client to feel like family. ot only are you able to find beautiful things to wear, it’s also about feeling really incredible and feeling really taken care of when you’re in the store,” she says. “When people walk through that door it’s not about ‘what can I sell you?’ It’s about ‘What can I do for you?’”

That philosophy has helped both Jess Boutique and Expressions attract loyal customers over the years who help shape the designs and styles of the store. Beyond the fashion, Alexis attributes the loyalty of the regulars to both shop’s ability to stay a oat during the Covid pandemic. At a time when much of Vermont was on lockdown, the two boutiques were forced to close their doors, but that didn’t stop Alexis from opening up the stores virtually. One of the creative tactics they employed during that time was using Instagram’s live video feature to sell clothes. Alexis would set up her camera and provide viewers with a QVC-style broadcast showcasing all the di erent products they had available in the store. Viewers could comment on the live videos, giving them the chance to interact with Alexis and ask questions to get the same level of service they would receive if they visited the store in person. hey also experimented with o ering what Alexis calls “style boxes.” Customers would provideJess Boutique with their sizes and a little information about what kinds of clothes they were looking for and Alexis and the rest of the team would put together a curated collection of items from the store. These “style boxes were then dropped o on customers’ doorsteps, allowing them to enjoy a personal shopping experience in a social distance friendly way.

WE’VE MOVED TO OUR BIGGER & BETTER, AND MORE EPIC LOCATION. SAME BUILDING, BUT NOW STREETSIDE ON PINE — LOOK WHO’S ALL GROWN UP!

Left: Look and feel your best self in your favorite designers, including Nic+Zoe, Elliott Lauren, Margaret O’Leary, and many more.

Above: Beautiful necklaces and earrings from Deborah Grivas will add a special to ch to ny o tfit e o : At pressions yo c n fin the i est se ection of i een isher in the Burlington area.

Now, thankfully past the struggles of the pandemic, Alexis keeps looking for more ways to evolve the two businesses. While she is very thankful for the use of social media and the internet to keep the stores alive in quarantine, lexis stresses first and foremost the stores will remain part of the community as brick and mortar establishments. “We build our brands o of our customer buying habits and preferences,” says Alexis. “Having the ability to be in the community and keep things fresh in a way that our customers want to see is the most important thing.”

BY REBECCA LIEBSON | PHOTOS BY LINDSAY SELIN