Jill Anderson - CLOSED

Jill Anderson has come a long way from her adolescent days in North Dakota, where she became notorious at her small country school for creating "teenage weirdo designs" for Barbie dolls. Over the years, Anderson has been repeatedly featured as a top designer in Greek and U.S. fashion circles alike.

Today, Anderson’s wildly acclaimed designs preserve the same sense of innovation that drove the designer during her earliest years. In 1996, Anderson opened her boutique in the East Village, a shop that has since established a following of loyal female customers from all walks of life — artists, actresses, writers, lawyers, yoga teachers, and so on. In Anderson’s designs, they are rewarded with a beautifully unique modern look imbued with the feminine touches of vintage pieces. The designs consist of clean lines, impeccable construction, and a sense of whimsical playfulness, all characteristics sought by strong, entrepreneurial women seeking elegance in their clothing.

In addition to 25 new designs produced seasonally, Anderson also creates unique alternatives to the typical woman’s monotonous “professional suit” or everyday wear. Those alternatives are made up of various core pieces: "Rosie the Riveter," "The Maid’s Uniform," "Hepburn Sheath," and "The Italian Widow’s Dress." The last one is a customer favorite. "You can’t beat a good housedress," Anderson says of this classy piece. She is particularly drawn to certain comfortable fabrics that can be harnessed for stylish designs: linens, gabardines, stretch rayons, cottons that are washed to softness.

Brides-to-be can also find a custom-fit beautiful yet affordable wedding dress at the boutique. Fashioned out of 16 yards of silk dupioni, a shimmering fabric, the dress is available in three lengths, with an optional neckline, and in a rainbow of colors. Anderson fits brides-to-be with store samples, which are then adjusted accordingly.

As Anderson attributes an intimate, hands-on approach in the production process with high quality and crucial attention to detail, she designs and assembles every sample herself. All pieces, therefore, are part of a limited collection, which usually consist of six pieces. The clothing is generously sized from XS to XL, with extra-small fitting a size 6.

Loyal customers are privy to various perks. For example, they can make use of the Green Garb Program, where Anderson will take from them pieces from her own label (pieces that are either new or have been gently worn) for re-selling. The customer will then receive 50% of the clothing’s re-selling price in store credit. There is also the “Lust List” as well. If customers are interested in purchasing a past style, they can pre-order and sign up to be alerted when that particular style is once again available.