Last week's Teen/Recessionista Shopping Tour skipped all the showy flagships and headed straight for the bargains! From their hotel, the towncar took us straight downtown to Noho where we stopped at Necessary Clothing. The teen found a super cute pair of gladiator sandals for just $19.99.
Next door, at Joyce Leslie, she found a lot of really cute tops and tanks while her mom browsed some of their jackets. I figured it would be a fun addition to head over to the Juno New York Sample Sale since the mom admitted to being the shoe addict when we drove through the shoe district. I also knew that the teen was looking for some black flats and they have a huge selection of them. The stop was a success! Not only did the teen find her black flats, but she found a cute leather bracelet as well.
Our next destination was TopShop and the ladies were super excited after I showed the a short video about the store. The teen was a huge fan of Urban Outfitters so I knew she'd love TopShop too. We definitely spent the most time here. How could we not with the three levels of endless clothing, shoes and accessories! The teen tried on a few things while the mom found some cute clutches for just $5.
After TopShop we headed over to the West Village to the Marc Jacobs Special Items store. The teen found a cute, hawaiian-print MJ tote and a few souvenirs for her friends at home.
As we headed back to their hotel, they enjoyed their yummy Magnolia Bakery cupcakes.
The other combo shopping tour we had last week was for a mother and daughter from the UK. They wanted to visit some chic boutiques along with some vintage boutiques. They were such lovely ladies.
We began the tour near Union Square and headed south on University Place where we headed to Jodi Arnold NYC and Pia. Following, we headed over to the shoe district where they visited some of the best shoe stores in the city along with Monk Vintage, where they enjoyed browsing the unique pieces.
From here, we headed past Washington Square Park and I told them a little bit about the historical MacDougal Street. We stopped at Cover Up and the daughter bought a cute headband that was also very practical in that, it was knitted and covered her ears.
Moving on, we walked over to Thompson Street, where I took them to Purdy Girl, where the mother found a beautiful necklace (all their jewelry was half off) and then to Stella Dallas, where the daughter found a pair of vintage shoes she absolutely loved. I told them that we had to visit both Purdy Girl stores, so we walked to the LaGuardia Place shop next, and we also visited Helianthus, which was just a few steps away.
At this point, I figured we should go to Soho, where they could find some more mainstream contemporary fashion at New York Look. The daughter was looking for a trench coat and I knew they'd have a good selection. She actually ended up loving a few of their spring handbags.
We were running on schedule for once, so I suggested we go to the Meatpacking District. The daughter had asked about ScoopNYC and I knew that their best stores are located on Washington Street. On the way, we made a quick stop at Chelsea Girl Couture where I told them they could find the famous Moon Bags by Patricia Smith along with some dead stock Diane Von Furstenberg.
We hopped on the subway up to the Meatpacking District next, and made a stop at Darling. The mother sat for a little, while the daughter tried on a few of their gorgeous, colorful silk dresses. From here we walked (it was a beautiful day) by Elizabeth Charles and Tracy Reese up to Gansevoort Street. Since the ladies were Carrie Bradshaw advocates, I mentioned Christian Lou Boutin and they wanted to take a quick peak inside.
Finally, we made it to ScoopNYC (they visited Scoop and Scoop Street) and I pointed out that the Diane Von Furstenberg flagship store was across the street. This was where the daughter found an adorable dress.
From here, I escorted them back to the subway and pointed them to their hotel.
If you'd like to take a customized combo shopping tour, visit our website for more information at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours. We look forward to shopping with you!
Showing posts with label New York Look. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Look. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Prom Shopping Experience - Dress? Check! Makeup? Check!
Last weekend’s Prom Shopping Tour was a success! The mother and daughter came to NYC hoping to find something unique that no one else in Boston would have. We started the tour watching the 2010 Prom Trends video so the teen could show me which dresses (styles and colors) she did and didn't like. After explaining to me that she wanted something long and cream- colored with a low cut back, I decided we should start out downtown at the more unique boutiques (which would be either hit or miss) and then end up in midtown/the Upper East Side for some bigger department stores with more options.
First stop was Unpomela, where they had a limited selection but some really cool dresses. There was one in particular that the teen was going to try on but the price was just slightly above the average prom dress price.
We moved on next to a few of the sample sales where they had some great deals on a few gowns, but nothing that peaked her fancy. Over on West Broadway, we tried New York Look, Ariella and Max Azria. They had some cute short dresses (which is a huge prom trend this year) but not much of a selection for long gowns.
I knew it was time to head uptown to the stores where there would be gowns, gowns, and more gowns. On the way, we took a look at the Prom Hairstyles video. The teen really liked the side sweep hairdo with loose curls, which actually ended up to be the perfect style for the dress she chose.
Uptown, we started in the garment district where they have gowns galore. We came across a few that were similar to what she was looking for, but not the exact style and color that she wanted. We skipped over some of the accessories stores since we hadn’t found the dress yet and headed over to the huge BCBG flagship store on Fifth Avenue. They had some beautiful dresses on the second level, as usual, but nothing that quite fit. Same with Saks Fifth Avenue: beautiful gowns at reasonable prices but nothing exact.
Our last stop was Bloomingdale's and it was a winner! There were several gowns in the color and style that she wanted but she also picked out a completely different color: a beaded aquamarine blue dress. It was really beautiful! In the dressing room, it came down to a cream-colored dress and the blue (both of which had very unique backs.) I gave my two cents and said she should get the blue since it was more youthful and fun. Cream is definitely something you can wear when you get older. Her mother agreed. Dress? Check!
We had a little extra time to shop for shoes after she bought the dress and decided that since the beading had some purple in it, that purple, metallic purple, or dull silver would work best. I was disappointed in Bloomingdale's non-designer shoe selection though. $1500 for prom stilettos is a little steep... They decided they would just get shoes at home. (The teen said that she would be kicking them off early in the night anyway!)
We headed over to the MAC makeup counter where one of the makeup artists applied a beautiful blue and purple smokey eye for the teen. Mom watched very closely so she could recreate the look on the big night! Makeup? Check!
If you're interested in enjoying our NYC Prom Shopping Experience, visit our website for more information at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours/nyc-prom-shopping-experience. We look forward to prom shopping with you!
First stop was Unpomela, where they had a limited selection but some really cool dresses. There was one in particular that the teen was going to try on but the price was just slightly above the average prom dress price.
We moved on next to a few of the sample sales where they had some great deals on a few gowns, but nothing that peaked her fancy. Over on West Broadway, we tried New York Look, Ariella and Max Azria. They had some cute short dresses (which is a huge prom trend this year) but not much of a selection for long gowns.
I knew it was time to head uptown to the stores where there would be gowns, gowns, and more gowns. On the way, we took a look at the Prom Hairstyles video. The teen really liked the side sweep hairdo with loose curls, which actually ended up to be the perfect style for the dress she chose.
Uptown, we started in the garment district where they have gowns galore. We came across a few that were similar to what she was looking for, but not the exact style and color that she wanted. We skipped over some of the accessories stores since we hadn’t found the dress yet and headed over to the huge BCBG flagship store on Fifth Avenue. They had some beautiful dresses on the second level, as usual, but nothing that quite fit. Same with Saks Fifth Avenue: beautiful gowns at reasonable prices but nothing exact.
Our last stop was Bloomingdale's and it was a winner! There were several gowns in the color and style that she wanted but she also picked out a completely different color: a beaded aquamarine blue dress. It was really beautiful! In the dressing room, it came down to a cream-colored dress and the blue (both of which had very unique backs.) I gave my two cents and said she should get the blue since it was more youthful and fun. Cream is definitely something you can wear when you get older. Her mother agreed. Dress? Check!
We had a little extra time to shop for shoes after she bought the dress and decided that since the beading had some purple in it, that purple, metallic purple, or dull silver would work best. I was disappointed in Bloomingdale's non-designer shoe selection though. $1500 for prom stilettos is a little steep... They decided they would just get shoes at home. (The teen said that she would be kicking them off early in the night anyway!)
We headed over to the MAC makeup counter where one of the makeup artists applied a beautiful blue and purple smokey eye for the teen. Mom watched very closely so she could recreate the look on the big night! Makeup? Check!
If you're interested in enjoying our NYC Prom Shopping Experience, visit our website for more information at www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours/nyc-prom-shopping-experience. We look forward to prom shopping with you!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, July 13, 2009
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!
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