Fashion Forward: Women's Cothing Boutique Opens in Lexington Center (Video)

Petra Lexington opened Friday, March 1, following a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by local business leaders, officials, friends and family members.

With some oversized scissors and a snip of the ribbon, Lexington's newest business opened Friday, March 1 to cheers from local business leaders, town officials and proprietor Petra Hoffmann's friends and family. Petra Lexington, a women's fashion boutique, occupies the space at 1844 Mass Ave., the former home of the Greater Boston Running Company, which has moved down the road just a little ways. In an interview with Patch earlier this year, Hoffmann said an interesting inventory and personal service would be a part of the design for the business.  “It’s personal shopping,” Hoffmann said, “I don’t care who you are or what you do; if you have an appointment or if you’re buying a T-shirt, this is what I do. When I put an outfit together for …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Forum on Downtown Lexington, a New Business Opens

A quick look at what you need to see, do and know on March 1 in Lexington.

1. What's Up in Downtown Lexington? At 9:15 a.m. this morning at Cary Library, for its First Friday Forum, the League of Women Voters has invited Melisa Tintocalis, Lexington’s Economic Development Director, to present an update on Lexington Center activities and proposals for some Center improvements. 2. Ribbon Cutting at Petra Lexington: The new women's boutique in Lexington Center will hold a ribbon-cutting and reception at 11 a.m. today. 3. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include the Board of Assessors at 8:15 a.m. at the Town Office Building and the LABBB Collaborative Board of Directors at 9 a.m. in Burlington. 4. Do You Get Daily, Weekly and Breaking News in Your Inbox? If …

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You Ask, Patch Answers

344’s Gone: Is Petra Lexington a Replacement?

As one clothing store closes, another prepares to open. But is it an even swap?

The trend-chasing young womens clothing store 344 shuttered its Lexington Center location last week, fading away after a month-long liquidation sale. As the “alternative apparel” chain store prepared to leave town, an independent boutique, Petra Lexington, has been busy preparing to set up shop a little ways down the street. Over the past couple of weeks, a few Patch readers have wondered whether the incoming business would fill the niche vacated by the outgoing store. The answer, in short: Not so much. Three Forty Four, aka 344, targeted younger women with styles that skewed toward the alternative. The store’s mix of trendy and a little bit edgy items catered mostly to teens and twentysomethings. Petra, meanwhile, will target a slightly …

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Coming Soon: Petra Lexington, a Women’s Fashion Boutique

Why a Miami-trained, 29-year-old Newton native who calls Brookline’s Coolidge Corner home decided to open her fashion boutique in Lexington Center.

  For all Lexington’s "haves" – the history, the good schools, the prime location and the vibrant culture – it was one of the "have nots" that led Petra Hoffmann to take a leap that could define her career. This March, the almost-29-year-old Hoffmann plans to open Petra Lexington, a womens clothing boutique she says will introduce a new dimension of stylish inventory and advice to a vibrant town center. Hoffman says she grew up in Newton, studied at a small school in Miami, has worked various jobs in the fashion industry and currently lives in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner. But it was after her parents moved to Lexington, and she noticed the town was a little lacking in terms of womens clothing options, that dreams of her own place began to …

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