Beloved Martha’s Vineyard Boutique the Great Put On Opens in Boston

Philippe Model Paris “Tropez Haute” low-top women’s sneakers, $400, the Great Put On. / Photo by Leonard Greco; styling by Madison Trapkin.

Take one look at the bevy of luxe international retailers that line the Seaport’s sidewalks, and it’s immediately apparent that the area has no shortage of clothing stores. None of them, however, has quite filled the niche that the Great Put On seems tailor-made for.

The newly opened independent boutique is an offshoot of the beloved trove by the same name in Edgartown. A Martha’s Vineyard mainstay for 55 years, the shop has developed a robust client base over the decades—including boldfacers like Carly Simon, James Taylor, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Uma Thurman—largely due to the customer-centric philosophy of owners Nicole and Kenny Bilzerian. “We’re very hands-on; we’re more like personal shoppers,” says Nicole, who has worked with her husband, the founder of the men’s and women’s clothing store, since the 1980s. Back in the beginning, “Kenny brought fashion to the Vineyard, which was very conservative at the time,” Nicole says. “He was selling Frye boots and bell-bottoms.” Later, the boutique was all about 1980s fashion: shoulder pads, high-tops, and leggings. “Our selection has evolved and changed as fashion has evolved over the years,” Nicole explains.

A Herno jacket hangs above a selection of women’s slacks. / Photo by Lindsay Ahern

The couple had dreamed about opening a second location for years, and Nicole had her eye on the Seaport before COVID hit. In 2023, it seemed like the time was right: The Bilzerians’ son Dylan and his wife, Erika Chancellor, who’d been a manager at the Edgartown location for nearly six years, were willing to move to the city and run the new store. “They were eager to do it, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to carry on the store’s legacy,” Nicole says.

Men’s outerwear is on display next to vibrant sleeveless blouses. / Photo by Lindsay Ahern

Slightly modified for the city shopper, the Seaport location carries fashion-forward clothing, shoes, and accessories for both men and women. “We try not to have one specific look or price point,” says Nicole of the store’s constantly rotating array of items from the likes of Ulla Johnson, Suprema, Herno, and Golden Goose. An extensive fashion-jewelry collection features gold and silver pieces adorned with precious and semi-precious gems; there’s even a small housewares section that included striking handblown glasses when we stopped in.

Enthusiasm for the store has already been high, Chancellor says, largely due to the boutique’s unique approach: “People like that we’re a little different—we want to style them. We want to help them find an outfit for an event, or even a whole new wardrobe.”

The shop beckons to passerby from the sidewalk. / Photo by Lindsay Ahern

Two necklaces by Liza Beth Jewelry feature yellow gold and diamonds. / Photo by Lindsay Ahern

First published in the print edition of the March 2024 issue with the headline, “Just For Kicks.”