Posts for June 2nd 2005
walking the "bargain mile" June 2, 2005 4:56 pm >> Psst. Come closer. I have a secret to tell you about Houston. Everyone will tell you to go shopping at the Galleria, which is fine and dandy if you want the big dogs like Chanel, Dior, and YSL, but the real bargain deals are on Harwin Drive between Fondren and Gessner, an area known as "Bargain Mile" or to people like me, just plain "Harwin." I'm not gonna lie...you will have to dig through tons of what looks like cheap knockoffs of the Paris Hilton Collection -- we're talking grotesquely tacky here -- but if you have a discerning eye, you will find the good stuff, trust me on this one.
And for you label whores out there, don't you worry your pretty little faces -- there's plenty of designer handbag knockoffs to satiate your every desire, you just have to ask. The ones out on display are not very good, but if you ask the shopowner, they'll usually point you in the right direction. They're just wary and like to gage interest first, since they do occasionally get raided for selling designer knock-offs. And just in case you were wondering, I don't approve of the whole knock-off thing, but to each his own.
In any case, the store I suggest starting at is called "Unnecessary Objects," I believe -- it's on the north side of Harwin Drive. They have some of the best selection for the best prices -- I found some bamboo bangles there for only $1 apiece and a pair of big green sunglasses at the top left for $4.99, for example. All the pictures throughout this post are items I bought yesterday, so you can see the good stuff that is out there to be found. I think I spent ~$60 total for about 20 different things, none of them over $5. Not too bad for such cute stuff. And with that, I recant (somewhat) -- while normally I would say, "Houston, I have a problem (with you)," I have found that even here, deep in the heart of Texas and all that other good stuff, there are treasures waiting to be found.
dita von please June 2, 2005 4:15 am >> Don't worry, you ninnies, we're not here to talk about Dita Von Teese, burlesque artist and fiancee to Marilyn Manson, even though Harpers & Queen magazine did name her as the #2 best dressed woman in the world in their May 2005 issue. I just felt like playing off of her name. But let's get down to the good stuff.
Summer is finally here with Memorial Day weekend just behind us, and I bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun. So what am I saying here, Annie? It is serious sunglasses season. Eek, but I don't have any sunglasses worthy of wearing -- what to do? Fortunately, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, who must know something, since John Galliano looked to them to inspire his fall collection at Dior, have provided us with the perfect answer -- Dita sunglasses. These vintage-inspired frames are a big hit with MKA (surprise, surprise), and they go along with the huge sunglasses trend that has been ubiquitous as of late. My personal favorite style is the Supa Dupa (left), because if you're gonna go big, you might as well just go all the way. It's backordered until late June at 80spurple.com, available for $165. Other styles, like the bestselling Isola ($150), are available at disrespectacles.com.
For those of you who like the vintage-inspired sunglasses look, but aren't so ready to splurge, fret not. 80spurple.com has a great selection of vintage-inspired sunglasses, each for $22 -- so you can still have bug eyes if you want them.
Bottega Veneta
Yogo Ego