Just got an email from Strut (must join mailing list) - starting tomorrow, January 13th, the Congress location will be 60% off, rather than the originally stated 50%. Hell, maybe if you wait another week everything will be 75% off. Remember - this applies to the entire store, big deal!
My best friend from New York just left after visiting for a week, and we spent pretty much the entire visit shopping. Shopping for us isn’t so much the buying aspect, it’s more the inspection, analysis, and brand discovery that happens outside of your natural habitat. We ended up hitting every geographical mecca for boutiques in the city - North & South Lamar, South Congress, and downtown 2nd street ish. I felt this personal duty to show her the fashion community, as this was her first time in Texas. It’s safe to say she was impressed, all it really takes is some Alexander Wang and Robert Rodriguez to put a smile on her face, as well as the plentiful sales that we were bombarded with at every contemporary women’s store. Almost every boutique was offering some sort of promotion, with at least 20% off some classification in the store. The best sales, however, were at Kick Pleat, Strut, and Girl Next Door.
Kick Pleat is a store I’ve been meaning to attack since moving, but as I avoid most left hand turns and tight parking spots, I hadn’t worked up the courage yet. With personal chauffer Ali, however, we got there just fine and ended up having a great chat with the sales assistant, who ended up being an FIT alum as well - so you know you’re going to have good service when you’re there. It’s really important too - Kick Pleat carries the likes of Alexander Wang, Rachel Comey, and VPL. Definitely contemporary expensive, but half of the store was marked down, and the shoes were 50% off.
Girl Next Door is another contemporary pricey boutique that carries your Vince, Twinkle, and Mara Hoffman. Everything I picked up to look at more closely in there ended up being Mara Hoffman - which I haven’t seen anywhere else in Austin. The store is adorable - it’s covered in pink and crystal chandeliers - and they were offering 40% off all new apparel arrivals, and 20% off all accessories.
Anyone who reads this blog knows Strut, they have sales about as often as Macy’s does, so whenever you go in there you know you’re getting a deal on something. The South Congress location, however, is a bit more enticing because they’re remodeling, so the ENTIRE store is 50% off.
Happy shopping!
Kick Pleat - shoes 50% off, an entire wall of sale merch - 918 west 12th street
Girl Next Door - 40% off all new apparel (Twinkle, Vince), 20% off accessories - 250 west 2nd street
Strut - 50% off entire Congress Store - 3100 South Congress
Just got home from the Austin Blue Genie Art Bazaar - and was able to get the bulk of the Christmas gift giving taken care of, thank god! Me plus the beau equals sometimes the most procrastinating pair. The Blue Genie is known to many Austinites as a rival to the Armadillo Bazaar - but to me it was a cutsey, warm and ultra original offering of Austin designers, painters and just good old artisans. As I’ve mentioned before, drinking & shopping is one of my favorite sports - so how convenient that a bar is at the main entrance. While there - I was able to view some blog friend’s booths - Amy Barber of Sweettooth, Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club and Natalie Tischler of Ornamental Things. I actually ended up buying a gorgeous flower cocktail ring from Ornamental Things - but had to stop myself there because Christmas is the time for GIVING, not receiving - which is often hard for me to grasp in a venue full of such authentic style.
Regardless of my uninhibited spending habits - it was amazing how there was a gift for every genre, be it wooden spoons with pearl embellishments, Obama print lace napkins, or psychedlic pug art (for my mom). One of the great things about gift giving this year, and the next - is being able to chalk it up to being in a novel city bursting with eccentricity, and having it be so easy. Whatever city I live in next, I can’t use the excuse “oh we’re only in Austin two years” anymore to rationalize the spending. With any luck, I’ll be able to rationalize future shopping sprees while chilling in an apartment in Amsterdam, London - or even back in New York.
When: Thru December 24th -10am to 10pm Sun-Thurs, til 12pm Fri & Sat, and til 6pm Sun.
Where: The Monarch Events Center - 6406 North IH-35, Austin, TX
Visit www.BlueGenieArt.com
Thanks to a tip from a reader (thanks Julie!), run and pick up this weekend’s Austin Chronicle for a 40% off coupon at Strut. As you know, they hold their 40% off first Thursdays at the beginning of each month – so if you missed December’s, you are in luck!
I can fully vouch that this is a great deal. I went to the first Thursday and was able to buy 2 party dresses (orig $60 ea), a dress top (orig $70), a bracelet & earrings (orig $12ish ea) for a little over $100.
FYI – it expires Thursday, the 18th
See post “Strut Your Stuff - Every 1st Thursday at Strut, ATX”
Uptown Modern is a vintage/antique store in North Austin, situated in a treasure trove of vintage and discount clothing & furniture venues on Burnet. There are two buildings, separated by an outdoor patio with beautiful wrought iron furniture (very New Orleans) and looks like something out of Great Expectations. When you walk into the first building, best described by the owner – you feel like you’re in an ice rink. It has a very heavy 70’s vibe – disco balls, foil Christmas trees, white patent leather couches, it’s like a scene out of Blow. Deco lucite chandeliers hang, psychedelic print pillows, and eclectic mid-century chachkies pull you into the twilight zone. Unlike most vintage and antique stores I’m familiar with in New York, everything was in great condition and priced exactly right – there wasn’t a ridiculous markup and everything was very within reach (arm chairs ranging from $150 to $250 depending on upholstery). The owner clearly has a trained eye when it comes to retro antiques, I’ve never seen a selection of 70’s furniture that was so easily translated into today’s living room.
Uptown Modern is also very well known for their vintage jewelry archives – which I could have browsed for days on end – and are definitely a little more pricey in terms of perceived value than the furniture (I saw a Chanel cuff), but exquisite eye candy regardless. I actually ended up picking up a glossy wooden log of a clock in the back building (which is a sea of turq), which was listed as only $35 – and the owner actually ended up giving me a 10% discount because it was dusty. That’s the thing about Austin, people really appreciate your business, rather than expect it. To me – Uptown Modern has become a kind of go to source for inspiration – I plan on taking my best friend when she visits, I know she’ll die – it’s a lot more than a store, it’s like time travel.
Visit Uptown Modern - 5453 Burnet Road, Austin, TX - or www.UptownModernAustin.com
Kind of – they’re in Dallas. Word on the street is that MTV is casting Saturday, December 13th for a new reality show that will be most like a Project Runway slash Apprentice, except not just fashion (art, graphic design, marketing). Who doesn’t love reality tv? It’s impossible not to since that’s all that’s on the small screen since we left the nest. I’ve even started believing that the Hills is a legit drama series. Oh wait, it is. Anyway – if you’re in the market to claw your way to the top and win whatever lump sum they’re dishing out, blow out your hair and get yourself to Dallas.
Where: Dallas Mariott Quorum - 14901 Dallas Parkway
When: 10am to 5pm Saturday, Dec 13th
Email me - Sidewalkisarunway@gmail.com for the application, release form and more information. You will need the application & a copy of your ID to gain admittance.
Being new to Austin - and so far away from the saturation of fashion my life and work were in New York, I’ve been searching for any form of inspiration I can get these days. While doing so, I was lucky enough to meet the brains behind Naughty Secretary Club - Austinite Jennifer Perkins - at the E.A.S.T. design tour this past November. (see post: Keep Austin Weird: E.A.S.T. Design Tour). After drooling over the website and reading her bio - I realized that she is a huge part of STITCH, an Austin fashion week of sorts that I had read about before moving here. Usually I would think, oh what a small world - but now I realize maybe it’s just leaving a city of 8 million.
Stitch aside (no worries it will make an appearance again), her pieces are kitschy chic and make you feel giddy just looking at them. The combinations of objects - leopard bow headbands with little dolls sewn on - you really can’t find anything like it anywhere else. There’s a lot of dichotomy & irony with the jewelry - not too serious but seriously adorable. Anyone’s design aesthetic that encompasses femininity, color, and eccentricity - I can’t get enough of.
The wearer of many hats that is Jennifer Perkins, has also begun carving a niche in the Austin art scene - with her fancy Fro Lady works of art. What’s a Fro Lady? She basically embellishes the hair (fro) of a vintage photograph with oldie estate chachkies. My friend who tagged along at the event actually ended up splurging on one for her bachelorette pad. Call me crazy, but I think that’s a pretty ideal response for your first stab at art in a city of artists.
Powder Puff Puss Hair Clips $14.00
Cigarettes Will Kill You necklace $18.00
Finally - the Fro Lady! Somewhere around $150 (art is an investment!)
A’Gaci is a new chain I discovered since moving to Texas (strange it’s a different world down here) - but also started seeing popping up in magazines left and right - Lucky, In Style, you name it. This seems to be happening a lot with boutiques lately - the story being that A’Gaci was started as a single store in downtown San Antonio, and developed into a chain of stores all over the Southwest. Chick Downtown (ads on Perez Hilton) - did the same but in Pittsburgh, and developed a huge ecomm site rather than brick & mortar stores (like a Shop Bop of sorts). As with most fast fashion chains, you have to exercise your editing skills when shopping - because the selection is very wide and so is the taste level - just like Forever 21. For every cheetah print something, there’s a chic ruffle, pearl, or heel. It’s the thrill of the hunt right?
Necklace $5.50
Beret $10.50
Ring $4.50
Belt $10.50
Legging $12.50
Shop www.AgaciStore.com
Just got back from this super eclectic, one stop shopping experience (AKA the E.A.S.T. Austin Design Tour)! I can’t say enough about Amy Barber of Sweet Tooth bags (see post: ATX Sugar Rush: Sweet Tooth’s Amy Barber) - she had the cutest setup and most colorful & inspiring studio - where I was schooled on her use of vintage fabrics and estate sale embellishments. She also partnered with Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club for the tour, who made that adorable bracelet above (fledgling IPhone photograph aside).
I’m constantly amazed by the designers here - the design oddities are a little reminiscent of Williamsburg, but I was never really a huge fan of the Brooklyn art/fashion/creative scene. It always seemed a bit contrived, a little too full of unemployed 20 somethings carrying Chanel cocktail bags. That’s where Austin has it’s niche, the pieces from both of these ladies comes from a place where you know it’s just their innate creative ability and persona to put together birdies on bobby pins - or scrabble pieces on a bracelet. My girlfriends and I pretty much bought out the place, as actions definitely speak louder than words - so I’m dying to show off my Sweet Tooth bag & birdie bobby pins around town. So Austin!
Read more about the E.A.S.T. design tour & an interview with Amy from The Austinist
Shop Amy Barber @ Sweettoothbags.com
Shop Jennifer Perkins @ NaughtySecretaryClub.com
I felt like I was in Paris! I wore this fabulous black beret unknowingly, but it worked out perfectly with the aesthetic. The whole week my girls had been planning an emo adventure (I say emo lightly, we’re just mild hipsters) - so this lounge was sooo built up in my head, yet met every expectation. I can’t recommend it enough - the teal paint, deco chandeliers, and quilted chairs, REALLY just plain and simple blew you away.
“Glamorous Hollywood style decor and vintage cocktails” - Bon Appetit
515 Pedernales Street / Austin, TX
