Drink and Shop, or Just Drink, at Wildfang

It’s a voyeuristic experience, watching customers come in and out of the fitting rooms, modeling outfits for their friends.

(Emily Joan Greene)

by Christine Heeley

Wildfang (404 SW 10th Ave., 503-964-6746, wildfang.com) is not a bar. You probably already knew that. The women-run clothing company, created by two former Nike employees, is best known for offering hip streetwear in androgynous cuts, which they describe as tomboy. It's pretty popular.
But just because it's not a bar doesn't mean it isn't a good place to grab a drink.

(Emily Joan Greene)

Wildfang's downtown location has a four-seat bar offering select beers from 10 Barrel Brewing, as well as a wide selection of Underwood wines. The space is small but very modern, featuring clothing designed to challenge gender, with one-of-a-kind pieces you can't get anywhere else. On a recent visit, I was greeted by cutely dressed shop workers who were happy to grab me a can of their Get It Girl wine, made in collaboration with Underwood, the proceeds from which go to charity.

(Emily Joan Greene)

It's a voyeuristic experience, watching customers come in and out of the fitting rooms, modeling outfits for their friends. There are also two swings, because nothing pairs better with booze than playground equipment.

(Emily Joan Greene)

As someone who spent the entirety of her 20s working in various retail stores, my personal opinion is that having a bar in a clothing store is nothing short of genius. Why doesn't every store have one?  Everyone knows consumers buy more when they have a few drinks in them—that's why there's free wine at art openings. You can maybe even lube up your significant other enough to buy you a new statement piece if you stay long enough.

The little bar is in no way a destination, and isn't really a bar per se, but if you're here, it's a welcome addition. You can wander around, peruse the racks, check people out and drink.  If there's a more perfect way to ease the shock of a designer price tag, I'm not sure what it is.

(Emily Joan Greene)

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