Violet Pepper
Neighborhood: Greenpoint
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Handbags
Description:
If you are an Anthropologie-ist and pounce particularly on their inventory which falls beneath their typical astronomical price points, you will love Violet Pepper. Run by Jade Elzien, a former buyer for the popular clothing boutique Dalaga, Violet Pepper carries a well-curated and carefully selected line of dresses, denim, shoes, jewelry, and gifts courtesy of both local and international designers. The inventory is similar to that which you will find at those popular stores like Anthropologie and Dalaga, but way, way cheaper - and of higher quality.
I love walking into Violet Pepper. I feel instantly blanketed by a tranquility and coolness that makes it easy to browse through their neat racks of clothing and goods; and the laid-back, non-aggressive yet personable customer service certainly adds to the pleasure of shopping there. Further, the spacious and airy tin-pressed ceilings and custom raw-wood racks and counters (created by Brooklyn artist Caleb Engstrom) showcases Violet’s inventory in a tidy fashion and adds to the appeal of the jewelry (which is all locally-made), and clothes and accessories like women’s pouches and bags.
Browsing through Violet’s collection, you will get a sense of Jade’s free-spiritedness and the idea that fashion really has no boundaries – as well as the fact that looking good doesn't have to cost a fortune. I particularly dig their DL1961 line of denim-wear which boasts luxurious items at half the price of popular designers like Rag & Bone. (The DL1961 line carries a price tag that hovers around the $200 range). There is an eccentricity to the store’s products that you will definitely get a feel for once you start digging in. It probably has to do with the fact that the store’s previous tenant was a boutique called Pretty Lady, a proper, Polish-run business. Jade has admitted to staying true to the store’s roots and even tries to cater largely to Greenpoint’s Polish community.
In terms of designers, you will find they are quite versatile. A lot of them are from L.A. and New York such as Carolyn A’Hearn and Erica Weiner (jewelry), blended with international fashion gurus like Kelsi Dagger (shoes and bags), and Isabel Lu (clothing including extraordinary gold-studded kimonos).
Price wise, there is something for everyone at Violet Pepper. You’ll find shirts that start around $40 and end at around $120. Overall, the clothing collection ranges from $55 - $178, footwear from $99 - $150, and jewelry from $22 - $238. Violet Pepper is well-known in Greenpoint for one of the lowest price points compared to all of the other boutiques in the same fashion-laden area.
I have made two purchases at Violet Pepper: an Isabel hounds-tooth sweater for $92 and a pair of penny loafers (I have never owned a pair of loafers in my life, which speaks volumes about the way this shop inspires shoppers) from G.H. Bass & Co. for $99.
Want to add a little spice to your wardrobe and still be able to afford a MetroCard for your ride back home? Head to Greenpoint and enter the enchanting boutique called Violet Pepper.
Violet Pepper
688 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Website
Map
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