Frankey's vs. French Pharmacie

So, in my 6 months or so here in Indianapolis, many people have recommended a visit to Frankey's - apparently the cognoscenti view Frankey's as sort of THE boutique in town. I must say, I've resisted a bit - I was a little turned off by the strip mall location.

Over the weekend, I finally paid Frankey's a visit. It was way bigger than I'd anticipated, and frankly more upscale. I'd heard that it was a good place to go for jeans, but didn't realize just how much other stuff - and fancy stuff - they had.

While I appreciate the lines they carry - Diane Von Furstenburg, See by Chloe, Vince, Elijah...and many more, plus some cool shoes - I found the whole experience not quite up-to-snuff for the price points. Merchandise is pretty crammed into every nook and cranny, making it very difficult to see what's what.

I much prefer the French Pharmacie experience. One of the reasons I like to shop in boutiques vs. department stores (although for my money the Saks here is a better, less overwhelming shopping experience than Frankey's) is that I appreciate the editing that a good boutique owner does. French Pharmacie rocks because Stacy Kosene is a great editor. And, as a result, the fab finds in there have room to breathe - and shine. Call me crazy, but I prefer to leisurely peruse more sparsely populated racks, particularly when I'm prepared to drop several Benjamins on something special.

The great experience at French Pharmacie brings back fond memories of shopping with my mom at Davidson's, when it was located at its original Glendale location, not the later incarnation at KatC. Aside from the creepy mannequins in the window that hadn't been updated since the 60s, longtime Indy residents will recall that Davidson's was once the ONLY place in town - besides maybe Ayres' Crystal Room - where you could buy designer clothes. They carried St. John, Louis Feraud, and other high-end designers, along with their own private label which was pretty great back-in-the-day. And it was a terrific shopping experience, once you passed by the weird mannequins. The shop floor felt almost empty - yes, there were racks on the floor, but they were far apart and hung with just enough choices. And there were always other "special things" in the back that the sales people would pull out for select customers. Once a year I'd go with my father to pick out a Christmas gift for my mom, and then the sales ladies would parade in front of us with options they thought my mom would like, while he sipped a glass of wine and I had a Sprite. Now that's shopping!

But that's what you expect from a great boutique. Calls when new merchandise arrives. A sense for what each of their customers like. Just great customer service.

So I bought nothing at Frankey's. I'm saving my money to do some shopping at French Pharmacie, during the upcoming "Amuse Bouche" event to benefit the Art Center. Join me, si vous plait!