Frill Boutique Looks Ahead to Fall Season

Things have been going well for the owners of Frill Accessory Boutique, 6 S. La Grange Rd. in downtown La Grange.

They have been open for a little more than a year in La Grange—their flagship store—and have also opened two new locations in Chicago—in Wicker Park and, most recently, in Lincoln Square.

"It's been a great year for us as we expand," said owner Maureen Longua.

Even though the location in La Grange was the first under the Frill brand, both owners have a long history catering to their customer's needs. Longua and her business partner Afkara Mason both owned shoe stores in the past. Mason was the owner of Afkara Shoes of Forest Park and Longua owned Pump Shoes in Wicker Park.

"We became friends through the shoe industry," Longua said. "We knew we needed to join forces."

They picked La Grange to launch their first store, citing the area's unique charm, proximity to transportation and, well, because La Grange residents seemed friendly.

"Everyone was so nice that we spoke with, we wanted these people to be our customers." Longua said. "Also, everyone seems to know someone from La Grange [in Chicago]."

Longua said the brand is scouting locations for new stores all the time. They opened in La Grange in May 2011, and soon after opened in Wicker Park in October that year. Their new store in Lincoln Square opened just a few weeks ago.

"Each store will really cater to the needs of the neighborhood we're in," Longua said.

For La Grange, that means accessories that are adaptable and can be worn in a lot of different settings.

"We try and push the envelope a bit too, in terms of color and our jewelry," Longua said.

As the name would suggest, Frill is a place to shop for items that are meant to add a little something extra to the outfits they're worn with. That means purses, jewelry, scarves and other similar items are the store's main bread and butter.

Price points wont break your bank either. Jewelry runs from $6-70 and bags generally fall somewhere between $80 and $120.

The owners are interested in more than just ringing you up and sending you out the door, Longua said. They'll help style you too.

"We definitely want to help [customers] choose a piece that's right and teach you how to wear it," she said. 

For fall, Longua suggests everyone needs a, "Chunky, statement piece of jewelry," to add to their wardrobe. New colors will start arriving in the store for fall at the end of the month as well. Longua said customers should start looking for subdued, jewel-toned scarves and bags that are on trend this season.

If you thought opening three stores in a little over a year would mean these women would be slowing down a bit, you'd be dead wrong. Longua said they hope to add another Frill location within the next year.