It’s a busy time in the Nordstrom wing at Westfield Montgomery Mall, where two new stores opened for business last weekend and a third closed its doors for the summer. The big news for many is the Maryland debut of Vineyard Vines, whose breezy, clean-cut clothes have earned a huge following among preppies from Massachusetts to Palm Beach. The brand has become a staple at college campuses as well as our local high schools, where the pink whale logo is as popular with today’s teens as Izod crocodiles and Polo ponies were with their parents. Not to be outdone by its snazzy new neighbor, the mall’s nearby J. Crew store closed its doors last week for a major remodeling that should be done by early August. The other new addition in the Nordstrom wing is the classic shoe store Johnston & Murphy, which built its reputation in men’s footwear but now offers a range of clothing and accessories for both sexes. In other mall news: A huge Peet’s Coffee station with plenty of comfy seating is about to open in the Sears wing, while the women’s clothing store J. Jill is relocating to the former Fossil space near Macy’s.
