Yesterday, after work and before the downpour and before the beet salad and bruschetta and vino at 'Inoteca, and before the Lindeman's raspberry ale at d.b.a. (yum, yum, yum, and yum), I felt like doing a little shopping in my neighborhood: Lower East Side, what! (What?) Usually most of the shops are way out of my price range, unless there is major saleage going on, but I've scored in the past. It's not impossible. I was feeling positive. First I checked out this new place, Renato Vasconcelos, named after the owner, a Brazilian man who was shampooing someone's hair when I walked in. Yep, two haircutting stations in the store! How utterly convenient for your Saturday-afternoon (or Thursday evening, as it turns out) multitasking needs. The place is packed with colorful, fun baubles: canvas bags, crochet and charm necklaces, chunky rings, thick bangles, flowy summer scarves. And get this: It's all totally affordable. I don't think I saw anything over $60. PERFECTO if you need a gift for a friend. And the nice man behind the counter said they go to Brazil all the time and are constantly getting new stuff in.
Then I wandered into a somewhat-new store, the Spiral Room, also on Orchard between Stanton and Rivington. All vintage, and unlike a lot of vintage, which I often find to be hideous approximations of stuff even your grandmother wouldn't wear, actually cool. I got an apple-print cotton dress with cute red buttons and pockets for only $9.99, and picked up a cherry-print elastic-topped, uh, top that was perfect for a friend who's pregs, also for $9.99, and a cute little leather string belt for five bucks. Can we all agree that this rules? I think we can. Take a look-see at the apple-print dress as I wore it today:
A note about my shoes: After my score at American Apparel last week, I stopped in at Miele, lured by their "select shoes $30" sign. I'd been coveting several pairs of their vast collection of Dolce Vita shoes -- they have a whole platform of 'em, laid out in a rainbow of colors and styles. I was thinking the twist-toe ballet flats in red, or maybe the peep-toe cork wedges (also twisty-stylee) in red -- had to be red, no matter what. I desperately needed red shoes. Neither of those were on sale, or indeed, even there (apparently others have had this same red thought). But I did find these super-cute moccasin-esque red mules -- with semi-pointy toes! Amazing. And $30! Go me.
Back at the Spiral Room yesterday, I passed on this cute linen dress, because it was a little tight, probably a little see-through, and a little more expensive at $47.99:
What do y'alls think of it? Should I go back and get it?
