Violet

For years I’d been wanting to make a trip to Violet when I am visiting back home in Jacksonville. The other afternoon, I finally had the time to do so. I got there between 3pm and 3:15pm and there was a note on the door that said «Be back at 3:45pm.» Ok, a little annoying, but no big deal. I wandered around another store for a bit. I arrived back at the door of Violet at 3:40pm, assuming anyone with basic customer service sense would overshoot their time estimate a little. 3:45pm came and another potential customer arrived. Then 3:50pm rolled around and the other woman waiting said, «If you run a store and you say you’re going to be back at 3:45pm, you make sure you get back by 3:45pm.» My thoughts exactly. A few minutes later, she gave up and walked away. I stuck it out till just after 4:00pm and then I, too, called it quits. As much as I love standing around in 80 degree heat waiting on someone to run their errands, I will not make another attempt to go to Violet.

Violet smells amazing! This is the only place I shop for candles. They have so many great scents, I never know which one to try next. Violet carries lots of «Made in America» products, which I also like. They have several lines that are produced in Jacksonville: Spadaro perfume, Claire Sommers Buck jewelry, and Peacock Republic hand soap.

OK so, Violet. Super cute and all. Great candles, shoes, clothes, and accessories… but WAY TOO expensive! Seriously, I wasn’t sure if I was looking at a price tag or a bar code of some kind. Tie-​dye tube dresses for $ 200+ is just not realistic for me. (Especially considering I can get the same look at Midnight Sun right down the way for $ 30!) I picked up an adorable Aztec-​style cardigan that reminded me of some surf styles I like, but it was $ 387! Come on, that’s rent. With that being said, Violet’s main area for improvement lies in their customer service. If you’re legitimately trying to sell me a $ 500 shawl, you need to SELL me that shawl. Or at least talk to me. From the second I walked in I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. The woman working greeted us, eyed us for a second, then immediately returned to her non-​work related conversation with a friend, and didn’t speak to us again for the 15 minutes we were in there. Lame.

If there was a heaven it would look like the inside of Violet. It’s a gorgeous store full of fantastic clothing ideas and some terrific home items. The owner and staff are the best! My only complaint: more men’s items.

A little slice of NYC right in the middle of 5 points. I love this quirky little store! They carry some of my favorite scented candles, and some wonderful clothes and accessories. I really enjoyed their vintage pieces the most. They’re a little pricey for Jacksonville’s standards, but I’ll admit, I’d pay the extra to see this place stay open.

A gem for Jacksonville and the 5 Points area, a great place to shop with cool original designs. Although a little bit pricey, you get truly one of a kind, artsy stuff. I only wish they had more local designs. The local art scene in Jacksonville is fledgling and could use the help from local stores. The girl who owns the store is very friendly, helpful, and the atmosphere is like shopping with friends not with a store owner just trying to sell you things. A great place, highly recommended.

Last time I was in Violet it was all vintage, and not really in my budget. I was eager to see the reincarnation of the same store under different ownership. Its surprising how often this happens in Five Points i.e. Midnight Sun. Violet was surprisingly well stocked. The clothes were primarily Calypso-​St. Barth’s and Jonny Was. I really loved their jewelry collection, and I did buy a piece. I should have asked about the jewelry’s country of origin, since I am really concerned about toxic chemicals that are found on costume jewelry. It also had a good selection of Mario Badescu beauty products. I will definitely come back to Violet when, I need a good gift.

Violet originally opened as a vintage store in the Five Points area of Jacksonville, the artsy, historical part of town. It has now morphed into an upscale boutique that sells basic clothing [a lot of simple tank tops, cotton dresses, etc] on a high end level.
It does run a little pricey, but the quality is there and if you have the money to spend it is worth the cost. The cottons are the softest cottons I have ever felt and the cuts are always great, fitting really well.
They also sell some nice jewelry and some home décor items that are worth checking out.
And if you go in there, be sure to say hello to the resident pup, one of the sweetest dogs in all of Jacksonville! There is even a small selection of doggy-​ware and doggy goods, for all those pet lovers out there.

my brother in law & myself went into violet after finding that they carry stone&honey jewelry, which i love. he was finding a present for my sister. the owner, texie, is AMAAAAZINGLY wonderful. i just wanted to give her a hug! its rare that you get genuinely great customer service, but she honestly loves her customers. they have an amazing selection of jewelry, clothing, and accessories. plus her dog is adorable. :) shes definitely worth the drive to five points. ill be supporting violet as much as possible.

LOVES!
Spending two months in Jacksonville, Florida was something I never planned on. that is until my work sent me here for two months. Yep.
But I digress… I made my way down to Park St. today on lunch break today after being referred by a local when I mentioned seeking out thrift stores in the area… well please note, Violet has nothing to do with thrift stores and neither frankly, does the 5 points neighborhood it’s situated in but that doesn’t matter. What matters is this boutique was just what I needed. It’s only been two days and I was feeling completely like a fish out of water until I wandered in here and started chatting it up with Texie (the owner) who made feel totally at home. She even made up a little list for me of all the local great food spots!
But on to the goods… Texie carries a little of everything. amazing clothing lines, jewelry lines (erica weiner, and my new fave– Sage), handbags, freaking awesome candles… and tons more. She really packs it in but be glad she does– all items are clearly thoughtfully and tastefully chosen. Coming from the Bay Area, with a plethora of local indie boutiques, I was still surprised by a couple of lines I had never seen before.
Needless to say after only 20 minutes I walked out with less money, but in much better spirits. I scored an amazing new fragrance that I know I won’t run into on anyone else (a incredibly yummy & nostalgic smelling body oil by Sage with notes of incense, amber, & coconut, kind of reminds me of high school!) and a sweet yet practical pair of fresh water pearl drop earrings. nothing like retail therapy to beat the «I’m stuck in Florida for two months» blues!
Though my wallet won’t appreciate it, I will most certainly be back in the very near future.

The old owner of Violet had very peculiar taste. Her store was 100% vintage, which really isn’t my style anyway. Well Violet has a new owner and she has done a great job introducing new products to the store. She still has some vintagey clothes, but she also has dog accessories, unique candles and jewelry, and some amazing stationary! I bought a box of 25 notecards with envelopes for $ 17. The print was very preppy and classic. I would definitely go back for this alone!