Think Globally, Shop Locally:

[As You Like It]

Do you support your local fashion economy? Do you know your local designers and dressmakers? Do you have a favorite offbeat little boutique in your neighborhood?

Let's talk about local shops for local people.

You all know Kate Spade is from Kansas City, but I bet you didn't know about Birdie's Panties. Local artist Peregrine Hoenig branched out last year to open a custom-knickers shop in the Crossroads district, and it's one of the coolest. Their fashion shows are to die for..so campy! She and her business partner design and make all of the lingere themselves, including embroidery, applique, hand-painting and silk-screening. Think about joining the Panties of the Week club.

I just had a major score at Ximena's this afternoon. 3 cool little Chinese-inspired tee-shirt tops @ $5.00 each. Ximena's is a very hip, and obviously low-priced boutique in my neighborhood, catering largely to the high-school and junior high up the street.

Isabelle's, which is two doors west of Birdie's is a cool consignment shop for local dressmakers to sell their sample garments. The quality can vary as widely as the selection, but I can gaurantee you will never be bored with the items on sale there.

Two other great local shops are Boomerang and Arizona Clothing Exchange, both dealing largely in vintage and retro. ACE has the kinds of prices you can't beat. I got my super-cool yellow-and-black plaid 1970s jumper dress there for $12

So, let's talk about the local shops in our respective hometowns.

 

[softgrey]

a detacher- on mott st
zero-by maria cornejo...also on mott st.
there are so many...esp in nolita and the e. village

i don't discriminate...if i like it and it looks good on me, with good quality and an affordable price, i buy it...i don't care who makes it...

i love supporting new talent...they are the one's who need it most...

 

[tealady]

I definitely shop locally, right in my neighborhood whenever possible. I'm a big believer in keep my $ as close to home as I can.

 

[paprika_hiccup]

Originally posted by As You Like It@Mar 5th, 2004 - 6:44 pm


You all know Kate Spade is from Kansas City, but I bet you didn't know about Birdie's Panties.

Yeaaah! My bf was in Kansas City for their film festival last year and brought me back a pair of those cute birdie undies!! And some Mr Gaines BBQ sauce- best ever.

Here in Williamsburg(Brooklyn) I like a little boutique called Metaphors on the corner of Bedford and N 6th? It has been there for at least 7 or 8 years i think, which is ancient in W-burg years. They carry some cute knitwear and a lot of jewery and accessories. Simple and sweet glass or stone earrings and lots of gigantic metalwork pieces, too. I bought my friend a tooled leather flask(filled with Beam later of course) for her B-day. She also has lots of funky leggings in the back- I have some that are way too wild for me to pull off

 

[Spacemiu]

That underwear is super cool! so much better than agent provacture!

I love to suport my local designers!!!

there are so many really cool designers in LA that nobody knows about . There is an awsome shop called sSirens and Sailors wich sells some amazing local deisgners.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne isn't exactly a centre of fashion design...

 

[pointup]

either is Fargo

 

[TheSoCalledPrep]

My current place of residence isn't that chic... think farmers, coal mines...

But these two in Shadyside (a borough of Pittsburgh,PA) are really fun:

KHARISMA vintage boutique - This little blonde girl, early 20s, owns this place... it's just so cute. She puts alot of herself into it and the clothes are very parallel to what's going on in fashion right now. The prices are great, and her style is amazing.

LUXX - They sell alot of Ben Sherman... more than they used to, but their shining feature is the upscale DIY stuff they have. I bought this top there in the fall, made of a jersey material... it's hot pink and black, really drapey and asymmetrically... very nice for $48...

Then you have the Shadyside (another borough of Pittsburgh) boutiques... upscale snotty places that stock Rogan and Botkier because they're so avante-garde

There's a Artist's Co-op at the Washington Mall (Washington, PA) that has lots of glazed pottery and oil paintings, but one "artist" does some really nice cloaks that remind me of the Chloe toggle button one. There are also woven cotton sheath tops (about $120) and compressed silk scarves. I walked around in this place for a while and nothing really caught my eye. One silk scarf with pink and purple tie dye (very Prada) was kind of nice, but not enough to buy it, and the tops were all too short for me. (?!)

And, of course, I can hit the thrifts anywhere.