With so many women working from home these days, stylish casual clothes are becoming more and more popular. I mean, who wants to work from home in a business suit?
A great find for the best collection of ‘stylish casual’ in Melbourne is De Nimes boutique in fashionable Burke Road, Camberwell. Owned by Julie Gaudion and Rebecca Smith, the duo have developed a store that stocks an eclectic mix of both high-end and modestly priced ranges to suit all budgets.
Julie, who also works as a model, jumped at the chance to go into business with Bec. ‘The opportunity came up about a year and a half ago, so I said “yes” straight away. It’s going really well. We’ve got the stock right now. We used to be more expensive but now have a lot more stock that is more affordable.’
Their target market is women aged between 30 and 50 – a lot of young mums and women working from home. ‘They like a more casual wardrobe with jeans, boots, tops, scarves and jackets. Things they can wear from school drop-off to work.’
The boutique’s interior is modern and minimalist, with a few retro touches that I fell in love with – including the giant Farrah Fawcett poster on the walls of the dressing room…
Luckily my beautiful Blogging model and buddy Rochelle was free to come along when I visited so she road tested a sample of their wares. Here’s some of what De Nimes has in store for the coming season:
Viktoria and Woods white Caspian shirt $259, Fate black/white pants $99.95 and Angie Mac necklace $49
Denim is a big part of De Nimes offering and it’s a testament to their dedication that Julie and Rebecca have even used the French definition of the store name as part of the boutique’s decor.
So what are the most popular denim labels with customers? ‘Hudson jeans and Mavi are really big sellers and people also love LTB which has a bit of detailing that customers want. Out most popular high-end fashion brand though would definitely be Viktoria and Woods,’ said Julie.
Here’s a look at all the brands stocked in De Nimes – an easy way for passers-by to see how many labels one boutique has the capacity to stock.
Perhaps that’s one reason De Nimes isn’t feeling the bite from Internet shopping. Rebecca thinks it’s also because of the personal service they offer. ‘We still have a very loyal customer who loves to come in for the experience. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and we can help with styling. We like to help coordinate with other pieces in the store.’
Yep, that’s one thing the Internet can’t compete with – good old-fashioned hands-on service from REAL PEOPLE with a sense of style.
If you’d like to visit De Nimes, head to 877 Burke Road Camberwell. For enquiries, phone (03) 9882 9335.
