It was an extremely cold day and the first shopping tour of 2010. A woman from Australia and her husband wanted to do something of interest but unfortunately their choices were very different. The woman wanted to shop and the man wanted to take photographs of the city. It just so happens that ShopNYC Tours has a friend who gives photography tours/lessons so it worked out perfectly for everyone!
We started our shopping tour walking through the beautiful and historic Washington Square Park and up University Place to Pia. This woman was serious about getting a new wardrobe since she had recently lost some weight. I figured this would be a great boutique to start in and get a feel for her style since they have a selection of both classic and trendy looks. Pia also has some amazing accessories that work perfectly with almost any style. After trying on a few of the blouses (which were a little on the trendy side) and not having much luck, I pointed her in the direction of one of their skirts. She said that she was looking at things for work and I knew that with a grey pencil skirt you couldn't go wrong! It was a success.
From Pia, we headed over to Ibiza, but their funky, vintage-inspired clothing and accessories weren't quite working. It was good to see what wasn't working, however, because from this point of the tour and onward, I knew where we needed to shop!
I took her south of Washington Square Park to LaGuardia Place where we made two stops. The first was Helianthus where they had some amazing sales happening. We found a few trendier items that she took a chance with and tried on, but they didn't quite work. The second stop was Purdy Girl and it ended up being a gold mine for her. Not only did they have a 50% off storewide sale happening, but she found everything from tops to dresses to jeans. We discovered that the shift dress was THE perfect fit for her and she ended up purchasing several of these Jackie & Michelle O numbers.
Following Purdy Girl, we headed down to Soho to the New York Look. This store is great because 1.) it's huge but not department store huge and 2.) they have a wide range of sizes for each item like a department store but, again, it's not one! She tried on several dresses by Elie Tahari, Tory Burch, and Nicole Miller along with jeans by 7 for All Mankind. New York Look--like Purdy Girl--was a very successful stop!
After finding some great stand-out pieces, she expressed that she wanted to find some basic staples at reasonable prices. I asked her if they had a Zara in Australia and to my surprise, she had never heard of it. I knew this would be the perfect place for her to get basics. It definitely was. She found a black turtleneck and some black skinny pants that fit her like a dream.
Zara was lacking in shirts, however, so we had time for one more quick stop across the street at Mango--another shop that, to my surprise, she hadn't heard of. I figured it would be a good place to find blouses and it worked.
If you're looking to find a new wardrobe that suits you, take a private shopping tour with us! We'll focus on your style and shops that work best for your body type and your budget. To inquire, visit www.shop-nyctours.com/contact. We look forward to shopping with you!
Showing posts with label Helianthus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Helianthus. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Customized Shopping Tours - Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Last weekend's customized shopping tours were very unique experiences. (It was fun to create new routes and change things up a bit!) I had two mothers book tours to take with their teenaged daugthers but they had some special requests as far as their daughters' styles and interests.
On Friday, the mother of the 12-year-old girl (they were visiting from California) requested that we visit some of the Teen Tour stores but also some boutiques a la the Chic Boutique Tour that were unique to New York. So we picked them up in a towncar at their hotel and headed to Henri Bendel first since they had never been there. I explained to them that even though they had shopped on Fifth Avenue, Bendel's was a must-see since 1.) it's the holiday season and it's decorated beautifully and 2.) it changes weekly with the different designers they invite to showcase on the main floor. They ended up purchasing some of Bendel's signature holiday items (which make the perfect NON-tacky NYC souvenirs--really the ONLY NON-tacky NYC souvenirs!)
After Bendel's, we headed to the Juicy Couture Flagship Store. Even though the gals have Juicy Couture in California, the daughter is such a huge fan that I recommended we visit this shop at least for a few minutes.
From here we hopped back in the towncar and headed to East 12th Street in Greenwich Village. We made a quick stop at Make-up Forever and since all the make-up artists were occupied, I did a quick demonstration of their products on the daughter. A 12-year-old doesn't really need much make-up, of course, but just a little shimmer eye-shadow on her lids with a pale pink "pop of color" (nothing too drastic) followed by some clear, glittery gloss was the perfect palette.
Our next planned stop was Owl's Lab, but to my dismay they have closed their store!!! :-( They are exclusive to the online world right now and have a messenger service that can deliver ordered fashion right to your door.
Next up was Pia, although it was a stop geared more toward the mother. It was a little too sophisticated for a pre-teen. Same with Ibiza--a little too sophisticated, but nonetheless, still a very unique stop.
Since Owl's Lab was eliminated, I added two other last-minute stops to the tour that I thought the gals would enjoy. We hopped back into the towncar and it was off to LaGuardia Place to Helianthus and Purdy Girl. They absolutely LOVED these boutiques and it didn't hurt that both shops had HUGE sales going on! They made a few fun and funky jewelry purchases at Helianthus where they had everything from miniature pig charm necklaces to elegant floral charm bracelets. At Purdy Girl, they bought an adorable plaid peacoat for the tween and a chic cashmere sweater and scarf for the mother. Afterall, everything in the store was 50% OFF!
At this point we were running out of time so we headed to the must-see TopShop. This was a hit for both the mother and the daughter (although it was a little more funky than their preferred style.) Nonetheless, they took a liking to some of their basic tees and their funky accessories.
Before we parted ways, I gave them some suggestions for dinner in the area, which included a Little Italy favorite of mine--Umberto's Clam House! I also made a map of some other boutiques in the area that they might be interested in, including Jump and Keito (since the mother wanted to find shoes) and Olive & Bette's (which I knew the teen would love.)
Saturday's customized shopping tour (although planned for a Sweet 16 Birthday Party) also had some special requests. It was a mother, daughter and her teenaged friend in a limo and they were looking for some unique, funky, vintage/vintage-inspired and consignment boutiques. It was a very exciting itinerary to plan!
The tour began at City Bakery (where I recommended the gals have brunch since it was away from the bustle of their hotel in Times Square.) (Sometimes the disadvantage to a luxury transportation tour can be sitting in traffic for half the tour--especially during this busy holiday season. To avoid holiday traffic, I suggested we make the tour a downtown-only tour.)
First stop after City Bakery was Irregular Choice. The only store in the US is located in the heart of Soho/Nolita and it's like a shoe carnival. You will never find more unique shoes in your life! They had a blast exploring the British-designed shoes, sneakers, boots and handbags. They even had some unique clothing including t-shirts and raincoats.
Next stop was the Young Designers Market in Nolita which is a unique shopper's treasure trove! You can find anything from
jewelry made of geodes to never-before-seen slogan tees. What's great about YOUNG designers?? They're trying to build their business so their prices are EXTREMELY reasonable! The daughter purchased a beautiful purple dress with crocheted detail for just $40.
Following the market (where they spent a good 40 minutes--you almost have to with over 50 vendors), we headed to one of the more contemporary stops on the tour--Necessary Clothing. I knew they would love the prices and since they're from New Jersey and they have a Joyce Leslie, this would make for a nice alternative. The daughter ended up buying a couple cute holiday dresses while her friend purchased a cute pair of $7 earmuffs.
The last stops on the tour were Eye Candy and Zachary's Smile (both on Lafayette Street.) They loved browsing Eye Candy for their unique, vintage accessories and they had even more fun in the "Bargain Basement" at Zachary's Smile where the daughter found a cute holiday blouse for $5!
Since the time with the limo was up, I walked them over to their final destination--Urban Outfitters--the perfect ending for a day of shopping for teens with vintage style.
If you'd like to take a Customized Shopping Tour in New York City, contact us at www.shop-nyctours.com!
On Friday, the mother of the 12-year-old girl (they were visiting from California) requested that we visit some of the Teen Tour stores but also some boutiques a la the Chic Boutique Tour that were unique to New York. So we picked them up in a towncar at their hotel and headed to Henri Bendel first since they had never been there. I explained to them that even though they had shopped on Fifth Avenue, Bendel's was a must-see since 1.) it's the holiday season and it's decorated beautifully and 2.) it changes weekly with the different designers they invite to showcase on the main floor. They ended up purchasing some of Bendel's signature holiday items (which make the perfect NON-tacky NYC souvenirs--really the ONLY NON-tacky NYC souvenirs!)
After Bendel's, we headed to the Juicy Couture Flagship Store. Even though the gals have Juicy Couture in California, the daughter is such a huge fan that I recommended we visit this shop at least for a few minutes.
From here we hopped back in the towncar and headed to East 12th Street in Greenwich Village. We made a quick stop at Make-up Forever and since all the make-up artists were occupied, I did a quick demonstration of their products on the daughter. A 12-year-old doesn't really need much make-up, of course, but just a little shimmer eye-shadow on her lids with a pale pink "pop of color" (nothing too drastic) followed by some clear, glittery gloss was the perfect palette.
Our next planned stop was Owl's Lab, but to my dismay they have closed their store!!! :-( They are exclusive to the online world right now and have a messenger service that can deliver ordered fashion right to your door.
Next up was Pia, although it was a stop geared more toward the mother. It was a little too sophisticated for a pre-teen. Same with Ibiza--a little too sophisticated, but nonetheless, still a very unique stop.
Since Owl's Lab was eliminated, I added two other last-minute stops to the tour that I thought the gals would enjoy. We hopped back into the towncar and it was off to LaGuardia Place to Helianthus and Purdy Girl. They absolutely LOVED these boutiques and it didn't hurt that both shops had HUGE sales going on! They made a few fun and funky jewelry purchases at Helianthus where they had everything from miniature pig charm necklaces to elegant floral charm bracelets. At Purdy Girl, they bought an adorable plaid peacoat for the tween and a chic cashmere sweater and scarf for the mother. Afterall, everything in the store was 50% OFF!
At this point we were running out of time so we headed to the must-see TopShop. This was a hit for both the mother and the daughter (although it was a little more funky than their preferred style.) Nonetheless, they took a liking to some of their basic tees and their funky accessories.
Before we parted ways, I gave them some suggestions for dinner in the area, which included a Little Italy favorite of mine--Umberto's Clam House! I also made a map of some other boutiques in the area that they might be interested in, including Jump and Keito (since the mother wanted to find shoes) and Olive & Bette's (which I knew the teen would love.)
Saturday's customized shopping tour (although planned for a Sweet 16 Birthday Party) also had some special requests. It was a mother, daughter and her teenaged friend in a limo and they were looking for some unique, funky, vintage/vintage-inspired and consignment boutiques. It was a very exciting itinerary to plan!
The tour began at City Bakery (where I recommended the gals have brunch since it was away from the bustle of their hotel in Times Square.) (Sometimes the disadvantage to a luxury transportation tour can be sitting in traffic for half the tour--especially during this busy holiday season. To avoid holiday traffic, I suggested we make the tour a downtown-only tour.)
First stop after City Bakery was Irregular Choice. The only store in the US is located in the heart of Soho/Nolita and it's like a shoe carnival. You will never find more unique shoes in your life! They had a blast exploring the British-designed shoes, sneakers, boots and handbags. They even had some unique clothing including t-shirts and raincoats.
Next stop was the Young Designers Market in Nolita which is a unique shopper's treasure trove! You can find anything from
jewelry made of geodes to never-before-seen slogan tees. What's great about YOUNG designers?? They're trying to build their business so their prices are EXTREMELY reasonable! The daughter purchased a beautiful purple dress with crocheted detail for just $40.
Following the market (where they spent a good 40 minutes--you almost have to with over 50 vendors), we headed to one of the more contemporary stops on the tour--Necessary Clothing. I knew they would love the prices and since they're from New Jersey and they have a Joyce Leslie, this would make for a nice alternative. The daughter ended up buying a couple cute holiday dresses while her friend purchased a cute pair of $7 earmuffs.
The last stops on the tour were Eye Candy and Zachary's Smile (both on Lafayette Street.) They loved browsing Eye Candy for their unique, vintage accessories and they had even more fun in the "Bargain Basement" at Zachary's Smile where the daughter found a cute holiday blouse for $5!
Since the time with the limo was up, I walked them over to their final destination--Urban Outfitters--the perfect ending for a day of shopping for teens with vintage style.
If you'd like to take a Customized Shopping Tour in New York City, contact us at www.shop-nyctours.com!
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