Dem Two Hands Bring Something Extra

Dem Two Hands adds flavor to fashion in Montclair.

At first glance, I didn’t know if was going to be able to capture this store’s originality. I’ve been wanting to step into a “homemade boutique,” a place where someone’s dreams and fashion vision have been created by their own taste, concentrated and pure to their ideas. I searched for “boutiques in Montclair” and there came up the address to a wonderful little shop – Dem Two Hands.

I was brought to a store on the corner of North Fullerton Avenue and Claremont Avenue, and as I stepped in I was able to sense the boutique’s originality by the way the store was designed. It looked cultural and very foreign. I suddenly felt as if I was about to take an international trip somewhere.

The walls were painted the color of  light maroon. The curtains were bright, along with the artsy rugs placed beneath the rack; and those racks, which were filled with distinctive fashion color coordinated pieces that called its unique shoppers, appeared to be of an enormous dream of a walk-in closet. The walls on the other half of the store were decorated with unique vintage housewares items of gold and bronze metal and frames of all sorts and colors. I felt as if I was somewhere in the Mediterranean while I scanned the homey shop.

Dem Two Hands is a  boutique fairly close to Montclair’s busiest street, just off Bloomfield Avenue. It is home to many women whose taste in fashion is no longer found in common popular high-end fashion stores. These women look for something more telling and worthwhile in their wardrobe – something extra that will represent their fun personality.

I was able to observe that these women look for pieces that are uncommon and that are limitedly made. “I’d prefer to take this one. I don’t want to end up walking in with the same coat as her,” said one customer as she waited patiently for the sales associate to finish writing out her layaway slip.

The store welcomes everyone, because fashion can be found anywhere for anyone and I feel that is probably one thing this boutique aims to do with its luxurious cultural affair. I fell in love with their unique exotic jewelry and accessories collections. They are brought in from designers who take pride in making their own jewelry, as an associate said. There was also an amazing variety of scarves in all sorts of materials and prints, made soft and cozy – perfect for the winter!

 As I kept scanning I was eager to meet the owner, but it was to my terrible luck that Marion Lake, the owner of Dem Two Hands, was out the day of my visit. I was hoping to speak with her about the shop and how it all started.

“Don’t worry about making a mess as you look at the scarves, they can be rearranged. That’s what we are here for,” I heard a voice tell a customer, who then laughs at the friendly invitation to feel as if she were at home browsing through her own drawer.

I encourage you all on your next outing in Montclair to stop on by Dem Two Hands at 61 North Fullerton Avenue in Montclair, and take a look at her international local boutique full of texture and global treasures. For more information on their store hours, visit their online website at www.demtwohands.com.

  Boutique, Culture, Dem Two Hands, fashion, Fashionista, Fullerton Avenue, jewelry, Local, montclair, Retail, Shop, Texture, women