They are the well-worn paths you zoom up and down every
day: Hawthorne, Fremont, Alberta, Sandy.
The thoroughfares you use to get to Fred Meyer to stock
up the fridge or to La Sirenita to scarf down a cheap burrito.
Hey (who knows?) you might even be on a lunch-hour search
for the perfect vintage skirt at a favorite eastside haunt.
But, all you busy people, if you slowed down on your way
from A to B you would notice that a few new apparel stores
have popped up around town. And while these boutiques are
on the beaten path, their offerings are anything but. So
break out of your shopping rut and check out these eastside
style stops that are worthy of your time, effort and, most
of all, money.
TUMBLEWEED
The main focus of local designer Kara
Larson's new store is her rustic, western-inspired dress
line (it's called Kara-Line) in flirty prints and timeless
(and size-less) styles. With charming details--fringed hems,
spaghetti straps, ribbon waist ties and halters--most are
around 100 bucks. Hugely popular with the Countrypolitan
set, Larson's simple designs have been featured in, among
other places, Jane magazine. Other store treasures:
exquisite Bess Dress frocks; Kara's Wild Carrots kids' line
of precious gingham jumpers; Ocelot hand-dyed, rich-hued
T-shirts and jerseys ($150); Rebecca Pearcy's Queen Bee
Creations 45 RPM tote bags ($36) and irresistible vinyl
wallets and journals with comic-book characters and other
fun graphics ($20 and up). Karen Thurman handmade sweaters
are also handy as well as unique, beaded chokers and other
jewelry what not's by Naomi Cole and Joy Cohen. Oh, yeah--Kara's
got a few pairs of bad-ass black cowboy boots for sale,
too. Off-site bonus: The last planned "Kara-Line Spring
Dress Sale" will take place at 1024 SE Sherman St., 233-0757,
9 am-4 pm Saturday, May 13.
(1804 NE Alberta St., 335-3100, www.kara-line.com. 11
am-6 pm Tuesday-Saturday,
11 am-4 pm Sunday)
CHERRY BOMB
Partners Junko Yabusaki and Lisa Friedli-Clapié
opened this funky little shop last fall with a mix of vintage,
high-quality his-and-hers apparel as well as new items by
Diane Reed's Danger Baby designs. The pint-sized space also
offers fused-glass creations by Kurumi, but alas, the art
by Kijrsten Watness is not for sale. A neighborhood standout,
the store's got a vibe that's part "Hi-Ho, Cherry Oh" board
game and part Stereolab, with its pale-blue walls, bright
red accents and modern orange chairs. Check out dresses
and skirts from the '50s through '70s and the plentiful
rack of men's old-school button-downs at fair market prices.
Bonus: A drawer-full of vintage scarves at three bucks each,
denim and silver-beaded bracelets for $14, Junko-designed
halters in dark denim and cute prints ($30), plus killer
jazz on the hi-fi.
(4616 NE Sandy Blvd., 460-0480. Noon-6 pm Tuesday-Saturday,
noon-5 pm Sunday)
CERISE
Local designers Patricia Harrington and Jamie
Guinn recently opened this store/workspace in a beautiful
Victorian house to showcase their natural-fiber-based wares.
Harrington's Arabian Knights label features luxurious, one-of-a-kind
kimonos (perfect for Mom's Day), loungewear and knit vests
made of silk, wool and mohair ($200 and up), along with
knit pillows, hats and refurbished furniture. Guinn's Elsing
Blinn label includes pretty, silk print dresses and skirts
(many around $200). Bonus: Handmade soaps, cards and jewelry
by locals designers and artists and an elegant dressing
room fit for a princess.
(2417 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 238-1540. 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Saturday,
by appointment Sunday and Monday)
STYLINIQUE
This unassuming, Beaumont neighborhood shop is owned
by former banker Kathy Harris, who has filled her tiny boutique
with a few select and affordable lines geared toward teens,
t'weens and twentysomethings. Black capri pants with drop
cords ($39), cotton twill cargo pants (around $30), wine
and navy poly tanks with spaghetti straps ($13) and Cheap
Thrill jerseys and halters with bright graphics ($25-$32)
are worth a peek, as is the inexpensive jewelry. Bonus:
50-cent butterfly hair clips and tiny, sterling-silver earrings
shaped like stars and diamonds--like those you coveted in
third grade--for only three bucks.
(4623 NE Fremont St., 284-9368. 11 am-7 pm Monday-Thursday,
10 am-6 pm Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday)
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Willamette Week | originally
published May 10,
2000
|
