Owner Alexandra Daras curates jewelry, clothing, accessories and gifts in her Bernardsville boutique, Pretty Pink Rooster. Courtesy of Nick Kenny
As fresh spring and summer fashions fill our favorite shops, one Somerset County boutique seems poised for better days. Despite a year of challenges, Alexandra Daras has steadily grown the Pretty Pink Rooster by embracing the new normal and offering virtual styling sessions, free shipping and live daily feeds on social media. And she’s about to introduce her own line of colorful, preppy tops, skirts and dresses.
Garden State–based Verizon recently took note of her efforts by selecting the Bernardsville boutique to participate in its Comeback Coach program. Verizon identified three entrepreneurial businesses nationwide that could benefit from a bit of complimentary, professional guidance. “Working with their business coach taught me to take my business to the next level,” Daras says. “It was a great learning experience.”
The Pretty Pink Rooster has garnered good buzz because of its poignant backstory. Following a childhood dream of running her own shop, Daras quit her teaching job to launch the business that she and her father had always planned.
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“My dad passed unexpectedly in 2010, and that was a big setback,” she says. “But four years later, I was determined to honor his memory and started my online business and then my bricks-and-mortar store.”
Today Daras runs the family biz along with her mother (director of sales) and sister (director of operations). “Dad and I had envisioned a boutique designed for women who wanted to follow fashion trends without paying a hefty price,” Daras says. “All of our clothing is under $200, and all jewelry and accessories are under $50.”
This spring’s top sellers include flirty costume jewelry, much of it designed by Daras, and cotton and French-terry loungewear. “I call them my quarantine cozies. Sales have skyrocketed with so many people working from home,” she says. “Loungewear is versatile because you can wear it as PJs or pair the tops with comfy jeans and fun accessories.”
The Pretty Pink Rooster, which also carries national brands like Vineyard Vines, Liverpool Jeans, P.J. Salvage and BedHead Pajamas, is open Monday through Friday, 10 am–6 pm, and Saturday, 10 am–5 pm. Daras streams fashion updates daily on Facebook and Instagram (@prettypinkrooster).
115 Morristown Rd., Bernardsville; 908-955-8484; prettypinkrooster.com
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