Boutique Hopping: Lindsay Lou

With all the fashion-forward clothing shops popping up in town, I will be bringing you bi-weekly installments of a sampling of the best boutiques Scottsdale has to offer. This week, we stopped by Lindsay Lou Boutique.

First Impressions of Lindsay Lou

My first thought when I drove up to the Lindsay Lou boutique was that it might just be a fairly hidden gem in a Scottsdale shopping plaza. The store is tucked away a little bit, and you definitely need to know where you’re going in order to stumble upon it.

As I walked up, I noticed the mannequins in the window right away and was impressed. They were adorably dressed in a mix of funky, trendy clothes with a dash of western fashion thrown into each outfit, and I was eager to see what Lindsay Lou had to offer inside.

Needless to say, the store lived up to my initial expectations. Cute, southwestern décor (along with some seemingly misplaced, yet endearing, Buddha decorations) filled the display areas, and the clothes were set out artistically. As much as the clothes are the driving force behind any shopping excursion, though, it’s often the ambiance that dictates what kind of experience you’ll have. I usually dislike having sales associates follow me around the store, but I do have to sadly admit that the lack of a warm greeting at Lindsay Lou and no offer of help from the girls behind the counter made me feel less than welcome, contributing to an oddly somber atmosphere. So I continued on to what I do best — survey the clothing situation.

Clothing Analysis

Overall, the clothes here were stylish and unique, and I appreciated the vast selection of designer apparel. If you have an affinity at all for brands like Free People (which I adore), J Brand, Rich and Skinny, or Rebecca Minkoff, you will be in clothing bliss. There are also lesser widely known, quality pieces strewn in the blend from designers like Chan Luu, casual tops by Daftbird, and cool print items from Tucker — all of which add to the variety and cool factor of the place.

You can find a host of casual dresses in a considerable array of fabrics (from silk to cotton to chiffon to heavier knits), as well as dozens of jean shorts, colored pants and ultra laidback tees. The materials and styles of clothes here were very unrestrained and diverse.

As for pricing, let me say this: While I am definitely not shy to toss several bucks toward top-notch outfits I know I’ll wear repeatedly, I will unabashedly confess I was genuinely shocked when I flipped over the price tags on these pieces. I get that designer clothes cost more (sometimes rightfully so, and sometimes simply to bear a certain name on the tag no one will ever see), but would I pay a couple hundred dollars for a pretty, but standard-looking gauze dress? Not a chance. To me, most items here were overpriced. To be fair, they did have a 40 percent off section, but then again, most of the reduced items were still not worth the numbers on their price tags — in my humble opinion, of course.

Tidbits and Takeaways

If you are a first-class label junkie (hey, most of us are from time to time!), Lindsay Lou is worth checking out. I recommend it for the high-quality, brand-name pieces that you willingly intend to put hard-earned dough toward. The dresses are by far the most worthwhile items to be purchased here, and a few of the shorts and pants could be worth the splurge, too. I, personally, would steer clear of the casual tees (you can find cuter for way cheaper); and, make sure you’re completely in love with what you find before breaking the bank for it.

Sample Outfits

I really liked the several displays Lindsay Lou had of dresses paired with cowboy boots. Not everyone can pull off that risky look but, if you can, I encourage you to get after it! The unfortunate thing is that it appeared the cowboy boots weren’t for sale, but one dress I loved (by Free People, naturally) was coupled with the most charming, short brown cowboy boots, and the combo worked for me, even sans jewelry. The juxtaposition of the black and brown colors created a subtle sophistication that needed nothing more. I also found this little pair of shorts by Siwy to be so irresistibly western and off the beaten path.

Free People’s Pleated Vegan Leather dress ($198)	Siwy Alia Cut Off Shorts ($163)

Here are also a couple samples of other cute dresses the store has in great supply.

Jen’s Pirate Booty Deco Senorita in blush ($154)	Eternal Sunshine Creations Wildflower Tank Mini Dress in ivory ($242)