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Cynthia Rae Opens Boutique In Uptown

By Nicole Crosbie

Cynthia Rae, a boutique known for its fun, funky and affordable contemporary women's clothing, has opened a new location in Uptown.

Ten years after opening her Cynthia Rae boutique in Excelsior, owner Cynthia Rae decided that it was time to open a second location. While the Excelsior boutique attracted local shoppers and tourists, Rae wanted more fashion exposure. Rae hopes that moving to Uptown will offer more opportunities and that her garments will appeal to funky and quirky urban customers.

Women can find a variety of unique jewelry, accessories, handbags and apparel with the majority of items priced between $20 and $70. Items rarely exceed $100, as providing affordable fashion is a priority at Cynthia Rae.

About half of the apparel is made by Cynthia Rae herself; she is known for creating feminine, quirky, body conscious garments with lots of fun prints. She shared her 2011 summer line at the May 19 grand opening in Uptown and her collection is now available at both the Uptown and Excelsior boutiques.

In addition to Rae's namesake collection, the boutique also carries clothing by Nymphe, Gilli and Stylebook, among others. Jewelry, scarves, and belts are available from $5 to $25 and all handbags are $50 and under. Only one color of each style handbag is available at Cynthia Rae to ensure that customers have a unique bag. Manager Diana Waserman said that handbags are priced $50 and lower because "every woman should be able to get a new bag each month."

Jewelry and Handbags
(credit: Nicole Crosbie)

As a small boutique, Cynthia Rae focuses on providing personalized service to customers. Waserman said that each employee is so familiar with the fit and style of clothing that they serve as personal shoppers for customers. They know what will look good on different body types and they work with customers to put together personalized looks. Rae said too often customers feel intimated by a boutique, but she offers great prices in a friendly and relaxed environment.

"At Cynthia Rae, not only will you get a great, on-trend product, but you will get service to put your look together," Rae said. "We can put your look together and you will feel fabulous when you leave."

Cynthia Rae Uptown
2817 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis
612.871.8471
Cynthia Rae Excelsior
244 Water St.
Excelsior
952.401.4484

Nicole Crosbie loves fashion and shopping, she has lived in Minnesota her whole life and loves finding new places to shop, eat and explore in the Twin Cities. She has degrees in public relations and psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

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