Private Chic Boutique Tour for a Lovely Lady from Australia

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!

Customized Shopping Tour - Couple from Germany

So I have to admit that our tours are more popular with women, however, we do get the occasional request for tours that offer shopping for men too! Such was the case with the couple from Germany.

They were a lovely married couple in there 30s/40s and the lady had a strong love for trendy fashion whereas the guy definitely appreciate a simpler, classic style. I decided it would be best to start our shopping with the the women's store since shopping for women can be a little more difficult and time consuming than shopping for men.

We began the tour in Greenwich Village at Pia, where I knew the lady would find some beautiful handbags and some very unique clothing by Debra Moorefield as well. She ended up taking a strong liking to one of their Treesje handbags (which I love) along with some of their beautiful Scottish cashmere. She actually ending up purchasing a black cashmere sweater that could be worn several ways (3 to be exact) which made it a very, very practical purchase.

Moving on from Pia, we headed next door to Ibiza where there was a huge sale going on since they're moving to their new store very soon. The lady tried on several of their tops by Custo Barcelona along with some of their beautiful coats. It was another successful stop as she walked away with a dress, top and a beautiful black trench with mesh detail.

After Ibiza, we walked across the street to La Petite Coquette where, although a women's lingerie store, was equally fun for the guy to shop, of course! The owner, Rebecca, was there and it was a pleasure to finally meet the creator of this gem-of-a-shop. Again, the lady walked away with some beautiful underwear by La Perla and beautiful hosiery by Wolford.

From here, the limo picked us up and I was told that we needed to find snow boots for the guy since it was due to start a blizzard at any moment. I took them to Keito in Soho on West Broadway and it was a little too fashion forward for the guy's liking. So instead we went up the block to Reno fashions, where I knew they had more casual, sporty boots and shoes. Here they bought a classic pair of black boots for the guy along with some colorful Ugg boots for their two daughters.

It was back to the fashion track after this stop. The lady specified that she needed jeans so we headed down to Flying A in Soho where I knew they had a huge selection including: Domino, Notified, Paper Denim, 2 Blocks South, Maje, Joe's Jean's, and Eden. She tried on a few pair while the guy browsed the men's selection but they didn't have much luck on sizes.

We walked down the block and I suggested they take a peek in Olive & Bette's since we were waiting on the limo. I knew they would be able to find different sizes for Joe's Jeans here and also James Jeans as well. It was a success! She found jeans and a few cute tops to match which I believe were Plenty and Splendid.

After this stop, the lady insisted that she was through shopping and that we needed to focus on her husband. They enjoyed a glass of champagne while in transit and then the limo dropped us off at Inven.tory which ended up being a little too trendy for his liking. We were running out of time so we couldn't get over to the East Village from Soho and have enough time so I suggested a last-minute stop in Noho at Save Khaki on the way back uptown to their hotel. It was a perfect fit--figuratively and literally. The guy was pleased with the style and the sizes also fit him well. He ended up purchasing a few sweaters, shirts and a couple pairs of pants. So although the lady left the tour with a small new wardrobe, the guy ended up doing well for himself too.

If you'd like to schedule a customized shopping tour for you and your hubby (or boyfriend), visit our website at www.shop-nyctours.com for more information. Happy New Year and we look forward to shopping with you!

Chic Boutique Tour with Carolina Gal!

I absolutely LOVE North Carolina!  So when I found out I was giving a shopping tour for a woman from Greenville who currently lives in Raleigh, I was really looking forward to some "Carolina bonding."  Afterall, I went to college in Wilmington, and pretty much partied all over the state (in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Greenville) during those days of youth..... ;-)  I have a lot of fond memories of NC.  

This woman was really sweet, early 30s and engaged (her fiance lives in New York.)  She works as an attorney and pretty much comes to New York every weekend to visit.  The shopping tour was a gift from him and since it was just a solo tour, he opted for the subway/walking tour which she actually preferred.  She said she felt like walking and taking the subway was more authentic to NYC.  She also commented how she could see tourists really benefitting from having a tour guide to teach them about the subway system.  

At any rate, the tour stops were all the same as usual.  In Greenwich Village, she particularly liked La Petit Coquette (as did her fiance) for their classy lingerie.  (In fact, I think she pointed out some neglige sets she liked to give him an idea of her taste.)  She also tried on quite a few outfits in Owl's Lab, which seemed to be one of her favorites.  She took a card and made a note that she wanted to go back there after the tour.  She wanted to have some time to think about her purchases before she bought them--smart girl!

She actually made a comment halfway through the tour that even though she lived in New York for almost five years and visits every weekend, she had never been to the stores I was introducing her to.  Like most New Yorkers, she was always too busy to explore the often "hidden gem" boutiques in the city.  

When we got to Soho, she really enjoyed New York Look and tried on a few things there as well.  Instead of sticking to the more commercial stores, after New York Look, I suggested we head to West Soho to visit some of the vintage boutiques.  She really enjoyed Chelsea Girl Couture and Laurel Canyon (where she tried on a pair of their awesome vintage cowboy boots.)  I also mentioned Flying A and she commented that she had been there before and had been meaning to go back.  I told her that this would be a good time, since they offer 15% off vintage items to my tours.  

While in transit to the last stop on the tour, we talked about some of the amazing vintage stores in North Carolina, including Buffalo Exchange (which I told her recently opened a store in NYC) and a lot of the cool vintage shops in Chapel Hill.  We also talked about downtown Raleigh and how it's such a beautiful, quaint town.  I told her I went to school in Wilmington and she told me she had been there within the last month and actually bought the sandals she was wearing while she was there.  (These sandals were adorable and she got SO many compliments on them throughout the tour!)  

Darling, in the West Village/Meatpacking area, was the last stop, which I knew she'd enjoy because by this time, I had a good feel for her personal taste and style.  I also think she was a little overwhelmed by this point since we had been shopping for 3 1/2 hours and she had seen a lot that she really liked and wanted to go back to see after the tour.  She had also been awake since the crack of dawn and had plans to go out with friends that evening so I walked her to the nearest subway and pointed her in the direction of her fiance's.  She was really grateful to me for the tour and said she had a wonderful time.  I had a great time too.  We hugged goodbye.  I'm telling you, it's something about those Carolina connections...... :-)

If you'd like to take one of our subway/walking shopping tours, visit www.zerve.com/ShopNYCTours for more information and to purchase tickets.  I hope to shop with you soon!

Chic Boutique Tour - Bachelorette Party!

Saturday's tour was the first Chic Boutique Tour that I've given in a while.  My Vintage Boutique and Teen Fashion and Fun Tours have been more popular, probably because of the state of the economy.  The Chic Boutique Tour definitely visits boutiques with higher overall price points than the other tours, but you can still find select items that don't cost a fortune, and window shopping is always welcome too.  

The group was a lot of fun.  There were two women from Reno, Nevada and then, of course, the bachelorette party, from Pittsburgh, PA.  Due to the size of the group, we took a limo, which always puts a smile on women's faces--especially when it's a surprise.  

First stop was in Greenwich Village at Make-up Forever.  The bride-to-be got some advice from the sales associates (who are all professional make-up artists) about how to do her makeup for the big day.  A couple other ladies in her party made some purchases too, while the ladies from Reno visited an art gallery across the street.  

Around the corner on University Place was Pia, where all of the ladies took a look at the beautiful handbags.  Bruce, the owner, was friendly, as always.  They all loved the store but the price range wasn't in their budget.  So I suggested, since it was a bachelorette party, that they head across the street to La Petit Coquette to take a look at the cute, feminine and funky lingerie selection.  The ladies from Reno showed a strong interest in gift shops and housewares stores so I pointed them in the direction of William Wayne & Company.  In the last 15 minutes of our stop in Greenwich Village, both groups ended up in Ibiza, which they all seemed to take a strong liking too.  They were all pretty amazed with their beautiful collection of jewelry, their cool hats and their funky handbags.

After Greenwich Village, it was back to the limo and off to Soho.  Since I had a good feel for the group by this point, I decided to take them to the west side of Soho rather than the east side, since the boutiques in that area are more unique than commercial but still reasonable in pricing.  They visited Laurel Canyon Vintage (one of the ladies in the bachelorette party wanted to see their cowboy boot collection after viewing the video), Chelsea Girl Couture (one of the ladies from Reno was interested in the Moon Bags after viewing the video), The Hat Shoppe, Lunessa and DKNY to name a few.  The ladies from Reno also visited Clio (a housewares store.)  This was a perfect area for the combination of groups since there is such a wide range of boutiques.  There was definitely something for everyone.  

After Soho, we got back in the limo and they each enjoyed a glass of champagne as we headed over to the West Village/Meatpacking District.  Next stop was Darling, which is one of my personal favorites.  Darling is awesome because they have a range of contemporary fashion, vintage fashion, vintage-inspired fashion and of course, a lovely dress collection on the lower level.  They also have some amazing accessories like broaches, earrings, necklaces, belts, and hats to name a few.  Darling carries some select handbags and shoes and some scented candles and oils for the home, which gives the entire store the most pleasant smell.  

Everyone enjoyed this store but since the bachelorette party was taking more time than the other women, I suggested they head over to the next block where they could visit Mxyplyzyk, which is one of the coolest gift shops in the city.  I also suggested that they visit Tea & Sympathy across the street where they could find some great gifts as well.  I would normally suggest The Bathroom too but it turns out that they're Greenwich Avenue store closed.  Times are definitely tough.

The West Village/Meatpacking was our last stop and after some successful purchases, the limo picked us up and dropped off each group at their requested location (another advantage of having a small group), which they really appreciated, considering it was raining like crazy all day.  

If you'd like to do something special in NYC for your bride-to-be, visit www.shop-nyctours.com and book one of our tours.  Both public and private groups tours are available.  Hope to shop with you soon!