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Tired of seeing the same pieces in every Upper East Side boutique, twentysomething sisters Alexandra and Samantha Mann decided to quit their fashion jobs (Alexandra was a sales director at Shashi jewelry, Samantha a personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman) to open their own store—Sam & Lex. The second-floor Lexington Avenue shop, which officially debuted last week, boasts brands not typically seen this far north (Veda, Eugenia Kim) as well as a few of the usual UES boutique suspects (Mara Hoffman, LNA) and some foreign labels the pair discovered during their travels (like Portuguese designer Luis Buchinho, whose current collection involves vacation-ready layered knit tanks).
Prices range from $80 to $1200, the most expensive items being leather jackets. "We have a lot of pieces that are business casual, that you can wear to work," Samantha told Racked during a recent visit. "Then you take off your leather jacket and you're in this amazing top and pants and you're out. That's the Sam & Lex girl—very fun, flirty, and a little edgy."
In case you're stuck when it comes to getting that fun/flirty/edgy mix just right, the duo offers free personal shopping services, where they'll answer all of your "I love this, but how do I wear it?" questions. To take a mini tour of the boutique, scroll through the gallery above.