Fine fashion on the North Shore at MILK Boutique
MILK Boutique owner Starr Card has an eye for fashion, something that’s evident the moment I meet her. Dressed in a luxurious, yet simply tasteful white, knee-length cashmere vest she’s belted into a dress over black leggings and knee-high black suede boots, it’s clear this woman knows her stuff, and there are few people I’d rather dress me.
Her love for fashion extends back before purchasing and rebranding Frankie and Julien’s into MILK Boutique, as she used to work at F&J before the previous owner mentioned she wanted to sell, and would love for Starr to consider taking on the role of owner.
“She said I had the eye,” Starr says. “It’s really just a matter of being creative, and I’ve always loved clothes and part of the reason I decided to buy the store was it became something my daughter and I could do together.”
When it comes to rebranding, MILK still carries a few of the staple lines previously held at F&J, like Ecru, Michael Stars, and Mauvi Jeans. With Chattanoogans becoming more well-traveled, expanding the lines became a must for Starr.
“People here aren’t living under a rock,” she says jokingly. “They know good style; they know designer pieces. I try to keep that in mind, and our customers have really embraced the new things I’ve brought in.”
Of MILK’s new fashion forward lines, Anatomie, and Italian line made for the well-traveled business woman, these sleek pieces wrinkle minimally and can be washed in your hotel room and dried in fifteen minutes. Another new favorite, Byron Lars puts together intricately detailed pieces and it flies off the shelves.
“One of my favorite new lines is See U Soon out of Paris, and that really says it all,” Starr says of the Parisian locale. “They’re very fashion forward, fun, flirty. It’s a twist on traditional, classic styles.”
As for price range, MILK is for everybody, with pieces ranging from fifty dollars up to a beautiful, decadent nine-hundred and sixty-dollar cashmere coat.
“It’s a sturdy, beautiful piece from a line called Kinross,” she says. “It’s what you’d call an investment piece. Cashmere is here to stay, it’s timeless. You choose quality over quantity, and as long as it’s not something that’s just trendy, and will be out next year, it’s okay to spend a good chunk of money on it.”
As with any boutique, MILK carries minimal sizes to ensure you don’t see yourself walking around town. There’s nothing worse than walking into a restaurant, bar, what have you, to see someone wearing the exact same outfit as you.
“If someone’s shopping for an event, for example, and someone else comes in later discussing going to that same event, we’ll steer them away from what somebody’s already bought to ensure they won’t be wearing that same outfit.”
With the handful of boutiques on the North Shore and in the Chattanooga area, they’re each very conscious of the lines everyone carries to ensure in a wide range for customers as well as not to step on each other’s toes.
“We shop there, they shop here,” Starr says. “It’s all friendly competition and the camaraderie between boutiques is really special.”
With Christmas coming up, MILK is the perfect place to purchase that special something for your special someone. Gift cards are nice, sure, but a beautiful scarf, a pair of simple, locally-made earrings and a gift card all from MILK would be even better.
Or if you want to surprise them with an outfit from the boutique and the someone you’re shopping for is already a customer, MILK’s staff can look up customer histories complete with sizes to ensure you buy the perfect piece in the right size.
MILK is the place to find the perfect piece for yourself or someone else. Use the holiday season as an excuse to pop in, and find that you’ll be coming back all year round.
MILK Boutique
330 Frazier Avenue
(423) 266-6661
Mon-Sat: 10am-6pm
Sun: 1-5pm
milk-boutique.com