MOMS
FASHIONISTA SETS A GREAT
EXAMPLE FOR HER DAUGHTERS
Clothing stores do some of their best business on the
weekends, but that’s exactly when JAMIE EVAR locks the door to
her popular Cresskill boutique, Reform.
“On the weekends I’m a full-time mom and I try to spend
every second with my kids, no matter what we’re doing,” says
Evar, 40, mother of daughters Joie, 11, and Drew, 7.
The weekdays, though, are a different story. Evar is in the
boutique she co-owns five days a week, building a career she
never imagined she’d have.
“From the time I moved out here I knew I needed to work. I
just felt unfulfilled running errands all day,” she says of leaving
New York and a career in pharmaceutical sales to settle into life
in Tenafly. “I had an e-commerce shop, but it was a lot of work
for little return.”
When the opportunity arose to open a small business selling
fitness clothes in the corner of a local Pilates studio, Evar took a
chance. The business took off, evolving into Reform, which she
affectionately refers to as her third baby. “Having a career was
something I had given up on, and when I got it back I felt like I
got back a part of myself.”
Though she sometimes feels guilty not being around on
weekdays, she also feels like she’s doing her children a service.
“My daughters have really found themselves and become more
independent because I’m not always around pulling the strings,”
says Evar, adding that her girls are proud of their mom’s job
and both want careers when they grow up. “One day they’ll
appreciate having a mother who worked hard because she
wanted to. Hopefully they’ll go down the same path.”
Family time is always special to Evar, whether they’re
running to the city to find the hottest new dessert place, having
dance parties at home or going for walks together. “Even when
I walk the dog after work I take someone with me to catch up
on the highs and lows of their day that I wasn’t a part of,” she
says. And the last month of each summer, Evar lives at the beach
with her daughters and husband Yuval, who comes out each
weekend. “Every day we have adventures and do something
different,” she says. “It’s our most cherished time of every year.”
Taking care of herself was the component Evar had to work
on. “For a while I was so caught up in business and home that I
didn’t make myself a priority. But taking time for myself makes
me feel complete.” To that end, she works out with a trainer
three days a week and takes five-mile walks every weekday,
even in the bitter cold. “Just being outside, breathing the fresh
air, makes me feel alive,” she says. “It’s my stress reliever.”
When she struggles to find balance, Evar reminds herself she
doesn’t need to be a perfect mom. “Children today are growing
up in a world that is not perfect. My goal is just to help my kids
prepare for it the best they can. It’s the truest form of love I have
ever known. I’m always amazed at how much you can love your
children,” she says. “Being a mom is the best gift I was ever
given.” ●
(201) FAMILY | APRIL/MAY 2017
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