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Shopping
Grace Ortelere makes shopping even more fun (and cheap!) with her weekly roundup of the best bargains in Philly.
While getting paid to shop would be the ultimate career, that luxury is typically only reserved for the few and far between. But don't lose sight of your dream just yet. The Indie Boutique Shopper Card is a local rewards program that offers a spiffy incentive when you purchase schwag in area stores. Every time you spend $50 at one of the ten participating locations, you get a stamp. Once you have ten stamps, you get a $10 gift certificate to each place. Sound difficult? Here are a few suggestions for racking up the necessary points:
➤ Start out at the Northern Liberties location of the eco-friendly boutique Arcadia (819 N. Second St., 215-667-8099). It’s not hard to drop a few hundred here, but you can find some sale pieces like the Abalone tank for $58.
➤ Then head over to Art Star (623 N. Second St., 215-238-1557), which is a gallery and boutique not far away. Although the Penelope Rakov Cotton Candy ring is adorable, it's not enough to get a stamp. Throw in a postcard decorated with an adorable set of owls and the words “Who doesn’t love a pair of hooters?” and a Johnny Cash finger puppet (why not?) and you’re good to go.
➤ Next up is Once Worn (910 N. Second St., 215-627-1122), where you can snag consignment items. Check out the jewelry selection — pearl earrings and a vintage brooch will bring you closer to the jackpot.
➤ Colorful denim is in this summer, so grab some WeSC Roxanne bright red shorts from Omoi (1608 Pine St., 215-545-0963)for $68. Or grab a hot pink paper weight in the shape of Beethoven and subway maps for a grand total of $55.
➤ Tired yet? Only five more to go: Loop, Spool, Jinxed, Arcadia’s Rittenhouse location and Wilbur Vintage. That should do the trick. Next weekend you can reap the benefits of your hard work by heading back out with your gift cards to stock up on a few more essentials. Winning!
(grace.ortelere@citypaper.net)
See Also:
CP's Kelsey McGlynn embarks on a hood-specific summertime boutique crawl.
Adresse, 1706 Locust St., 215-985-3161
When shopping in Rittenhouse, it's easy to overlook Adresse tucked away on Locust between 17th and 18th streets. This high-end boutique features designers such as Valentino, Araks, Jenni Kayne and Ferragamo and a very exclusive atmosphere. The clothing is perfect for both casual and fancy events, and the pieces will last you a long time, which helps soften the blow of the expensive price tags. I was most impressed by the elegant shoe collection. Lining the walls in the backroom, there was a heel for every occasion. The store itself is well-organized, which makes shopping stress-free. For most, it's too pricey for an every-day type of shopping excursion, but it's an ideal hidden gem when your on the lookout for that stand-alone, special-event piece.
(kelsey.mcglynn@citypaper.net)
See Also:
Neighborhood Watch looks for Philly’s most fashionable. This week, while everyone seemed to be taking a heat-induced fashion break, Diana and Kelsey found one young lady who didn't let the boiling temps keep her from bringing the cute.
Annie proves that 100-degree days can be pretty, too
We caught up with Annie (20) walking through City Hall on her way back to work. She was sporting a cardigan from Target that was “under 20 dollars, the best kind of fashion," and a feminine ruffled skirt in cream. She added an Italian touch to her outfit with a beautiful glass necklace from Milan.
Annie told us that she was really into the term ‘high-waisted.’ High-waisted skirts, pants, shorts — she loves it all because the pieces are usually “comfortable and flattering.”
Annie’s fashion secret is “to wear whatever mood you’re in and go with how you feel.” She elaborated by telling us that if you wake up and feel great, dress that way, but that also means you have some days when you don’t look your best, and that’s okay, too. This summer she’s on the prowl for the perfect pashmina to dress up her favorite t-shirts.
Natural hair care products are picking up steam in today's beauty market. To keep you up-to-date on what's out there, City Paper's Cassie Owens is spearheading a weeklong series that highlights locally based natural product manufacturers. Today, she starts with a few basics:
➤ Repairing hair? Hair is dead. And no, not vampire dead — I mean dead, dead. Your hair isn't Eric Northman, it can’t just heal. Products can cover your hair, but they can’t undo what’s been done. Damage to the cuticle is inevitable and irrevocable, and a slew of things can damage it — from brushes to sun exposure. If a brush can damage hair, there’s no use pretending that dyes and relaxers don’t. A more realistic goal than repairing the hair would be keeping it clean and properly moisturized. (And yeah, it’s possible to over-moisturize.) pH balance can make a huge difference. This video describes why and how.
➤ Don’t be scared when you see hair in the drain. Put simply, you are a mammal. Hair is your fur. Hair and fur shed. It’s a perfectly natural and expected stage of your hair’s growth cycle. At any given point, 11% of your hair is shedding.
➤ When you find yourself coveting the lustrous shiny locks from advertisements, stop. Shiny locks are an illusion created by light reflecting off closed hair cuticles ... and Photoshop. And unfortunately, in hair care, there isn’t always truth in advertising.
➤ Not everything you read on a shampoo bottle may be true, and a lot of the time, that’s perfectly legal. The FDA doesn’t regulate “aesthetic claims,” so a label can promise a laundry list of qualities without delivering them. A product can read “hypo-allergenic” or “all natural” and be far from it. “Cruelty free” can mean the product hasn’t recently been tested on animals, not that it never was. No way? Way. The FTC expects claims to have a study to back it, but the study needn’t have status or support from an academic institution. The FDA does mandate that companies list ingredients. If you want the truth, read the ingredients listing. Don’t know what menthoxypropanediol is? Check out this site.
Grace Ortelere makes shopping even more fun (and cheap!) with her weekly roundup of the best bargains in Philly.
➤ Once you get up the nerve to pop through the bubblegum pink exterior of Smak Parlour, you will find clothing, jewelry and home goods whose aesthetic is surprisingly relaxed and modern, but with a vintage feel. Among other designers, Smak sells its own line, designed by its two owners Abby and Katie, so its guaranteed no one at the beach will have the same summer dress as you. This weekend, the boutique will offer spring and summer styles for 30 to 50 percent off, and Sultana Maria jewelry will be 20 percent off this weekend only. I’ve heard pink might be the new black. 219 Market St., 215-625-4551, smakparlour.com.
➤ Even though the most cooking and cleaning I do is pouring canned soup into a bowl and spraying my home with Febreeze, walking by the fabric store Spool makes me want to buy a sewing machine. Through Sunday, everything in the store — including their adorable, candy-colored printed cottons — will be 10 percent off. Maybe this'll motivate you to design your own duds this summer. They even offer sewing classes! 1912 South St., 215-545-0755, spoolsewing.com.
➤ I have a feeling there isn't a lot of yachting happening in the Philly region, but that doesn't mean we can't opt to dress like we're about to set sail. Polo Ralph Lauren is offering an additional 25 percent off select styles. Before date night, visit Nicole Miller for a whopping 50 to 75 percent off some hot dresses. The Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St., 215-893-1234, philadelphia.bellevue.hyatt.com.
➤ And don’t forget that Carmelita Couture has a 40-percent-off clearance sale going on that will continue until the store closes at the end of the month. Stretchy sequin dresses and jumpers with rumpers will help you feel more like Lady Gaga after a stuffy weekend of Polo. 17 N. Third St., 215-925-3207, carmelitacoutoure.com.
Although the boutique is set to close, reality television stars can continue to get their fix of Carmelita Couture. The line, which has dressed Tila Tequila, will move out of its storefront at 17 N. Third St. by July 30. After little more than a year since it opening, owner Camelita Martell says she's satisfied that she was able to raise awareness about her clothing line, but feels it's time to focus on expanding a wholesale line. Although she has no concrete plans, Martell says that it's “high likely” she will move into a new space shared with other designers in September, where customers can continue to purchase the “artistic, avant-garde, custom-print, high-end” line at an “accessible price” (read: $225 skirts). Although the company will be effectively homeless for a month, Martell remains optimistic that “our true customers will follow us wherever we go.” However, if you don’t feel like following the breadcrumb trail to the new location, this is your chance to snag some rubber skits and zebra print jumpsuits. All accessories and clothing will be 40 percent off until the end of the month. As for the former boutique? Martell believes it may become a pub. Now there’s a win-win situation.
(grace.ortelere@citypaper.net)
See Also:
- Carmelita Martell brings red-carpet-worthy glam to Old City
- TALKING SHOP: Sisterly fashion along Walnut Street
- NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: Fashion essentials inspired by Kim Kardashian
CP's Kelsey McGlynn embarks on a hood-specific summertime boutique crawl. This week, she peeps the "fun, friendly" fashions in sister stores Knit Wit and Plage Tahiti.
Knit Wit, 1718 Walnut St., 215-564-4760
As I walked into Knit Wit the entire store was cool, and so was the clothing! I was overwhelmed in all the right ways by the extensive collection of designer brands such as Michael Stars and Seven Jeans.
Annie, a store employee, shared with me that Knit Wit “is great for women of all generations, shapes and sizes.” The store features sizes ranging from 0 to 14 and offers “jeans and shorts for teens, and more serious suitings for older more conservative shoppers,” Annie explained.
Neighborhood Watch looks for Philly’s most fashionable. This week, Kelsey and Diana gather a list of "chic essentials" along Market Street.
Stefana blocks the sun in style, with a pair of electric blue Knockaround shades
As we strolled down Market St. trying to escape the sun, we ran into Stefana (20), who seemed less than threatened by the heat. She was sporting a classy little black dress from Charlotte Russe, a fantastic floral Lilly Pulitzer scarf, and her trademark Knockaround blue shades.
Originally from Romania, this fashionista explained, “I wear mostly jeans back home, but a lot of dresses here.” Her style is mostly preppy but she also channels Kim Kardashian’s chic essentials, “everyone should have really good black leggings, one nice black blazer and nude pumps.” Stefana is living proof that accessories make an outfit. “I love scarves, but I really love my gold Lilly bracelet,” she gleamed.
This summer she is on the prowl for the perfect BCBG shoes from her favorite shopping site, ideeli.com.
Grace Ortelere makes shopping even more fun (and cheap!) with her weekly roundup of the best bargains in Philly.
This weekend, shopping for vintage looks won’t be a chore, and with a month of summer heat still left, it’s still a good time to stock up on sandals. Hit up this weekend’s big sales.
➤ Most of us seek the perfect vintage store in search of hidden treasures, only to find ourselves sifting through musty-smelling Gap shirts from 2009. Spare yourself the stench at Once Worn Consignment, which stocks both brand names like Forever 21 and designers including Gucci for seriously low prices. If somehow cheap isn’t cheap enough, this week pants and jewelry at the store are 20-percent-off, and designer items will be 20-percent-off on Saturday and Sunday. 910 N 2nd St., 215-627-1122, oncewornconsignment.com.
➤ There are no hidden treasures at Wilbur Vintage, because there is no dirt to dig through to find the colorful and carefully selected pieces sold here. It’s just as easy to find rare jewelry as it is to strike up a conversation with the friendly owner, Dan, who this week is offering 50 percent off items marked with a red dot and 15 percent off regular-priced jewelry until August 16. Mention this column to get your discount! 716 S Fourth St., 215-413-5809, wilburvintage.blogspot.com.
➤ Bus Stop Boutique, one of Philly’s best stores for one-of-a-kind shoes, is having an even bigger sale this weekend. It’s their annual warehouse sale, happening up the street from their boutique. It’s certainly worth strolling on over for pairs of shoes as low as $25 while they clear out their summer items and donate a portion of the proceeds to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. 750 S Fourth St., 215-627-2357, busstopboutique.com.
➤ To mix your vintage purchases with some new contemporary clothes like Michael Stars shirts and J Brand jeans, head over to South Moon Under — or use the code EXTRA25 online — for an additional 25 percent off sale items. Some summer looks are as much as 75-percent-off. 1731 Chestnut St. 215-563-2298, southmoonunder.com.
(grace.ortelere@citypaper.net)
See Also:
- TALKING SHOP: Fab fashions abound in Manayunk
- Shopping Spree — Candy Depew: Candy Coated
- NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: Rompers are the thing this year
- City Paper's Shopping/Style listings
CP's Kelsey McGlynn embarks on a hood-specific summertime boutique crawl. This week, she takes the Regional Rail northwest to tackle Manayunk's consignment shops.
Greene Street Consignment, 4313 Main St., 267-335-5478
The modern, vibrant vibe of Greene Street Consignment immediately caught my eye as I walked along Main Street Manayunk. As soon as I walked in the door, I was greeted by Rachael, a store employee who was more than happy to show me around the well-organized shop.
The sales floor is stocked with great summer styles in an array of colors. “Our clothing covers a big age range,” Rachael explained, “which makes us different.” Greene Street features mostly women’s clothing, but there's a small men’s section in the back. It's clear that Greene Street focuses more on trends than tags. Their clothing is unique, reasonably priced and there’s something for everyone — whether you're a middle-aged mom or just about to embark on your first semester at college. Put this place on your shopping to-do list as a definite go-to for colorful, seasonal styles.
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