Julep Boutique

Indulge Your Passion for Fashion

by Stefanie Powers

Autumn is on its way! Does your fall wardrobe need some sprucing up? Time to head over to Julep Boutique in Lake Charles and check out the latest arrivals. Julep offers fashions for both work and play, along with fabulous accessories and gift items. 

Steve and Julie Miller opened Julep in the fall of 2019. “I have some retail and sales background,” says Julie Miller. “My education is in the medical field, but I’ve always had a love for fashion and business.”

Miller got the urge to open her own store after many conversations with her work associates. “I would attend meetings at work and frequently run into colleagues with similar dress styles,” she says.  “Maybe same top, different color, etc. The lack of shopping resources, specifically boutiques, was a frequent topic of conversation. I recognized the need and went for it!” 

The store initially started online in October of 2019. The storefront was supposed to be ready in September of 2020. But then, disaster struck. “Hurricane Laura caused extensive damage and we had to start over from square one,” Miller says. “In October of last year, we rented a temporary building and operated in our current parking lot until our store was completed this past June.”

Miller loves the location. “I live in South Lake Charles, and I am always looking for places to shop on my end of town,” she explains. “South Lake Charles needed more retail shops. Our location at Southlake Crossing is the perfect setting for a boutique.” 

She says the owner has made a big effort to offer Lake Charles an upscale shopping center. “He’s done really well,” she says. “The shopping center is also locally owned, so when you shop here, all of your money supports the Lake Charles community.”  

Julep caters to girls and ladies ages 14 and up. “We are also a size-inclusive boutique and offer sizes from 0-2x in business and casual attire,” Miller says. 

The boutique has it all: Dresses, jeans, jumpsuits, shorts, pants, tops, sweaters, jackets, hats, and more. Footwear includes boots, flats and wedges. “We also carry jewelry and accessories, along with gifts such as candles, umbrellas, resin pieces, and Topanga scents,” Miller says. 

If you’re not familiar with Topanga, it’s a luxury laundry product line with California-inspired fragrances, such as Brentwood, with notes of passion fruit and patchouli, and Roxbury, with an aroma of sea salt and orchid.

Miller is excited about their new candle line from Blue Magnolia Candle Co. Made here in Louisiana, the candles are hand-poured and have a wooden wick, which burns slower and cleaner. 

What also stands out are the super reasonable prices of Julep’s quality merchandise. And, if you’d rather shop in the comfort of your own home, you can order online and keep an eye open for their sales. They also have an active Facebook page that alerts you to their latest merchandise. 

Miller is proud of her store and hopes you visit soon. “Julep Boutique is known for impeccable style and relaxed shopping in a comfortable environment. Our sales staff is here to help you coordinate that perfect outfit for your next event!”

Julep Boutique, 4720 Nelson Road, Lake Charles, 70605, (337) 990-5989. Open Mon.-Sat. from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. [email protected], www.julepboutique.com, and find them on Facebook