End Of An Era

Thirty years of discount clothing boutiques seem to be coming to a close.

who sighs that she needs a dress for
a granddaughter's wedding, there is
a sense of loss. "I miss the bou-
tiques," she admits. "I shopped Ray
hen Rosalie Gold
and Ida, Fancy This, Giacca Knits,
turned out the lights
the Clothes Pin . . . all of them."
for the last time in
The earliest boutiques,
December
like Bea Stillman and
at Rosalie's in West
Ilene Babcock's Metro
Bloomfield's Orchard
Rosalie Gold closed
Shop,
were "manned" by
Mall, it signaled the end
her Rosal bou-
fashion-loving
middle-
of an era. The successful
tique in December.
aged mavens who had
Jewish-owned discount
raised their children and
specialty shops, many of
were ready to become entrepreneurs
which began in the '60s as base-
before that became a buzzword.
ment boutiques in northwest
Partnerships afforded flexibility,
Detroit and Oak Park, seem to be
so
friends such as Esther Sherman
gone for good.
and Estelle (Cantor) Robinson and
For shoppers such as Sara
sisters such as Joyce Passman and
Manson, a Southfield legal secretary
Ada Lavin pooled their money, time

EDITH BROIDA
Special to The Jewish News

IV

1/8
1999

62 Detroit Jewish News

and talent and,
with no advertising
except word-of-
mouth, soon
acquired a faithful
following. Gold's
partner was her sis-
ter-in-law, Lois
Shiffman; their
first shop was the
popular Pacesetters in Southfield.
With all of these enterprises, the
operative word was "discount."
With little overhead and "private
adoption" arrangements with select-
ed New York manufacturers, they
were able to sell designer clothing at
lower prices. Customers didn't care
that labels were cut out; the mer-
chandise was consistently stylish

and saved them money.
The boutiques flourished as their
owners followed customers to the
suburbs. Shoppers could cruise the `--\
Metro Shop in Birmingham; Fancy
This, Just Marilyn's and Ray and
Ida in Oak Park and Southfield;
Dickens in Franklin Village; Esther
and Estelle in Berkley and then
West Bloomfield; Sylvia's and