Local Boutique Now Offering ‘Exclusive’ Merchandise Brand

BERNDARDSVILLE, NJ — A local boutique with a heart-warming history is now a specialty store for an exclusive, well-sought-after clothing and accessory line — Lilly Pulitzer.

Pretty Pink Rooster, located at 15 Morristown Road in Bernardsville, is a quaint boutique that offers jewelry, clothing, accessories, and more. Less than a 15-minute drive from Morristown, the shop prides itself on giving shoppers the "opportunity to look and feel great" at an affordable price.

Owned and operated by Alexandra Daras, Pretty Pink Rooster is a passion project of hers, as well as her late father's.

“Pretty Pink Rooster is something I always wanted to do since I was a little girl,” Daras told Patch. “My Dad and I came up with the concept of having an affordable boutique in our area, it’s something we didn’t have. We built the whole back end of the business, and in 2010, my Dad very suddenly passed away… It took me a good four years to move forward with wanting to fulfill and follow the dream that he and I had together and built together.”

Daras was working as a teacher when Pretty Pink Rooster first launched its online shopping site in 2014. It wasn’t until two years later that she ended her teaching career and opened the brick-and-mortar boutique to work full time as the owner.

The store, named after Daras' father’s favorite animal, has been very successful so far in both online and in-store sales. Now, the store has even more of a draw since it became a Lilly Pulitzer specialty store.

“I wanted to give women the opportunity to look and feel great without the hefty price tag,” Daras said. “Lilly Pulitzer was such a huge influence in my own personal styling. I’ve worn Lilly my whole life, my Mom wears Lilly, and my sisters do too. So I’ve always wanted to have Lilly in my store, that was a goal from the very beginning.”

Lilly Pulitzer is a clothing company known for its “beautiful, bright colors,” with fun, “easy-going" prints. What it means for Pretty Pink Rooster to be a Lilly Pulitzer specialty store is that Daras can hand-curate a selection of Lilly Pulitzer products, including gifts, jewelry, clothing, accessories, and more.

Pretty Pink Rooster offers several brands other than Lilly Pulitzer, and once items are sold, they are not restocked, so be sure to check availability if interested.

“We have a ton of other brands, accessories, and gifts, which are really beautiful, curated by me, my mom, and my sisters,” Daras said. “We are also very active on social media… I do Pretty Pink Rooster TV live every day at 10:30 a.m., where I showcase all of our fabulous items.”

Pretty Pink Rooster’s inventory can be seen on its website here, and shoppers can keep up to date on the latest options on the boutique’s social media, including its Instagram.