Owner: Lemont 'Felt Right' for New Boutique on Stephen Street

Jill Mace knew she wanted to open a boutique, but she wasn't quite sure where.

She shopped around several different locations, but when she saw the space at 117 Stephen St., she just knew.

"I like the quaintness of it, the people," Mace said. "I wanted a small area, and I didn’t want to be in a strip mall. It just felt right."

Mace debuted Jilley's Boutique to the community in late-May, and in the first few weeks, customers and community members have proven her intuition right.

"The people are great here," she said. "We’ve had nothing but good things to say about everyone we’ve dealt with."

The boutique has long been a dream for the Orland Park resident and mother of three, also formerly a patient coordinator for a surgeon. But the impending departure of her children for college sparked something in her, she said.

"It’s just something I had wanted to do for years, and it never seemed like the right time," Mace said.

"Now seemed like the right time."

So she and husband Mike scooped up the storefront on Stephen Street, transforming it into a vintage-y, warm shop filled with unique items and select brands. Mace focuses on women's wear and accessories, hand-picking "one-of-a-kind items that you won’t find anywhere else."

A boutique buff herself, Mace has a keen eye for keeping the price points reasonable, while maintaining a variety.

"...I tried to create something that I would like to shop at," she said. 

Mace currently carries at least 13 different lines of clothing and accessories, mostly in the casual realm: think maxi dresses, jeans, shorts, tops. Brands include Big Star and Big Buddha, to name just a couple.

"It seems like everyone’s pleased with it," Mace said. "We’re hoping we’re doing a good job.

"It’s been so good here, we’ve had a lot of business."

Jilley's is open:

• Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.