Talking Shop! Store Openings and Closings

You can’t flip through a fashion magazine or watch a style show without someone waxing poetic about the denim trend this season. It’s showing up on manicures and a dizzying array of jean styles; even acid wash has worked its 90210-way back into the rotation. 

Whatever your denim fancy, there are several shops in town offering all manner of washes, fits and price tags. Four of the boutiques are within a few blocks of one another, making your denim quest a cinch.

—Culture Couture, 53 Church Street

Among the quirky change purses, graphic tees, jewelry and Buddha statues, Culture Couture has loads of jeans. “You just have to try them,” owner Lisa Johnson says of finding the right pair of jeans. "Take a good 30 minutes or an hour and try on a bunch.”

A bunch is what Johnson has too, in a variety of fits for women of all shapes. The prices are reasonable as well with each pair coming in at under $100. You can check out some of the styles online, where there is a nifty “what’s your body type” component. Johnson notes however, that the online selection is just a sampling and she has much more in stock in her shop.

—Ruby, 27 Church Street

Amongnst their fashion forward clothing and accessories, Ruby boasts a wonderful selection of higher-end jeans. Coveted brands like Paige Denim, J Brand, AG and Citizens of Humanity fill the entire back wall. 

As stated, this is higher-end denim, where most styles and brands hover in the upper $100s to $200 range. Unlike Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus though, which stock the same labels, jeans at Ruby are always 10% off.

—, 219 Glenridge Avenue

Blackbird Lane offers vintage denim jeans, jackets, shirts and overalls. According to owner Maureen Frances, jean jackets have been the most popular. “As soon as I get them in, they go,” she says. Denim button downs are another hot item, including the aforementioned acid wash, which Frances admits is a big seller with the high school crowd.

The sought after jackets hail from denim stalwarts like Levi’s, Wrangler, Lee, and even Sears Roebuck. Frances also just sold a fabulous vintage “Capital E” Levi jacket from the late 1950s/early 1960s. She explains that Levis made prior to 1971 had a capital E in the iconic red LEVI tag, whereas anything post that year has a lowercase ‘e’.  

Aside from the “Capital E” denim jacket that sold for $145, prices for the jackets, shirts, jeans and overalls fall under $50 with many under $40. 

—Speakeasy Vintage, 465 Bloomfield Ave, 2^nd Floor

A relatively new, but welcome addition to the Montclair shopping scene, Speakeasy has stunning selection of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories from the 1920s to the 1980s. 

In the way of denim, Speakeasy has jeans from the 1970s and 1980s with brands like Jordache and they range from $25 to $35. Speakeasy owner, Johnny Petrozzino, says he currently has a 1968 Wrangler denim jacket (men’s size large) and recently sold a 1950’s Levi’s one as well.

Open & Shut....What shops are opening and closing in Montclair?

Opening: It looks like Red Mango will have some competition soon.  Lets YO! is opening in the former ColorStoryHome space at 31 Valley Road. On their website, Let’s YO! calls itself a “modern yogurt experience” with a “hip and social environment.” In addition to yogurt, Let’s Yo will also serve coffee and breakfast items, check out their menu here.

With an 8 a.m. opening time and offering coffee, Let’s YO! could siphon off some of Starbucks’ morning crowd, particularly parents and nannies from the Montclair Community Pre-K, which is right around the corner. 

Shut: , which sold trend-inspired casual wear for men and women, has closed. The shop was located at 209 Glenridge Ave and opened in February of 2011. No news yet on what might occupy that space. 

Talk Shop with us… let us know your favorite destination for denim, or if we’ve missed any store closings/openings, tell us in the comments section.