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Hot
topic
High style for summer nights.
Every
year, I look forward to the ritual of busting
out my summer wardrobe: squishing all my
cold-weather clothes into one side of my
closet to make room for summer dresses,
moving the boots to the back row to clear
the way for some strappy sandals, putting
away hats and gloves to have space for my
girlie accessories.
I
began this year’s seasonal exchange
excited to see all my old clothing friends,
especially a couple of fondly recalled pieces—a
white peasant top and long black skirt whose
ribbon detail and lace train last flapped
in the breeze as I walked along a beach
at sunset with a 29-year-old surfer. But
as I moved aside a crate of Christmas ornaments
I began to feel a little uneasy. By the
time I picked up my cat from the closet
floor, revealing an expensive dress now
completely covered in cat hair, I had an
eerily familiar feeling. It was happening
again!
Every
single year, my summer wardrobe mysteriously
disappears. I find one or two stained tops,
a pair of pants that fits too tight across
my butt and a dress that looks like it should
belong to someone far younger than me. And
I find maybe one pair of shoes that hasn’t
been beaten to within an inch of its life.
This year, the delicate ribbon and lace
detail of my black skirt trails indelicately
from the skirt itself. The white peasant
top bears evidence of a late-summer feast
on some drippy chocolate thing.
Since
I am forced to shop, I turn to the experts:
Summer Skrzelowski, Sarah Bellamy and Rosemary
Seidner. These women know what they are
doing. Summer owns the hip designer boutique
Suki in Hyde Park, and she helps me find
a piece or two that will knock the socks
off anyone, anywhere. Since Suki is more
than a little pricey, I turn to my stylish
friends Sarah and Rosemary to help me push
my fashion vocabulary without devastating
my fashion budget. And here is where they
take me: T.J. Maxx. I will not give away
all of Rosemary’s secrets, but believe
me, she has found the most amazing things
at T.J. Maxx. Be willing to wade through
a lot of extra-large knitwear in order to
land one designer hit. Among the other stores
we hit on our summer shopping excursion:
Chameleon.
This downtown Main Street store is the best
place to pick up super-trendy items really
cheap. Trendsetting Sarah is a regular here.
That’s all I’m saying.
Déjà
Shoe. Sarah and I love this new store on
Calhoun in Clifton. Funky shoes, clothing,
purses, fetish wear, you name it!
Claire’s.
Push those teenage girls aside and stock
up on your accessories.
The next time you find your own summer wardrobe
needs a lift, check out a few of these alternative
places with decidedly alternative pricing.
If you want to splurge on a great summer
piece that will last more than one season,
visit the girls at Suki.
So
go forth. Shop. Remember how good it feels
to wear just the right dress and
a perfect pair of shoes on a hot summer
night?
stacy sims
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