WE HAVE A WINNER: JACI WINS THE FRINGED BUCKET BAG!
We will email Jaci with instructions on how to claim the prize.
The holiday season is upon us, which means plenty of occasions to put a little extra thought into what you’re wearing. Whether the celebration calls for formal wear or jeans, ’tis the season to dress to impress.
As any fashionista will tell you, accessories make the outfit. At The Little Shoebox in Ruxton, the team pays close attention to accessories from head to toe. Shoes, of course, anchor an ensemble, but decorating the rest of the body – from scarves to hats to bags – is just as important.
The shop has piles of great new fall/winter accessories in stock, including cozy hats and bright fur scarves. One of our must-haves: the sweet suede fringe bucket bag, shown above. The cross-body bag is roomy enough for more than a phone and a lipstick, but small enough not to overwhelm any outfit.
This week, The Little Shoebox offers the suede fringe bag as a giveaway (an $85 value). To enter to win, leave a comment with your name and your favorite holiday tradition. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday, November 30 at noon.
Harbor East invites you to get your haute on at the ultimate style fête, the third annual FashionEASTa: The Fashion Event! On Saturday, April 26 Baltimore’s chicest shopping destination takes center stage and highlights the fashions of some of its most notable retailers. Guests are welcome to shop in-store specials and style events, groove to live entertainment, and savor cocktails and light fare from Harbor East restaurants street-side. The festivities culminate with a showcase of the best of spring fashion as the hottest looks hit the runway for the FashionEasta Fashion Show!
Look what our friends at Vineyard Vines — one of the honchos there is a Baltimore boy Will Lanahan — are selling to raise awareness for men’s health and Movember!
Movember is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of mustaches during November to raise awareness of men‘s health issues, such as prostate cancer and other male cancers. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event.
A group of guys at Vineyard Vines have organized Team Mo Vines and the company has designed a tie to honor the mustachioed men’s efforts. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the ties will go to team Mo Vines in support of men’s health. Go Team Mo Vies!
Hi Girl Friends- Now that the dust has settled and the kids are all back in school, we are hoping you can join us for a Ladies Night Out in celebration of our Grand Opening in Stevenson Village. Cocktails, sushi and shopping!!! Please see our attached invite.
Looking forward to seeing everyone,
xxoo Liza
Hi Girl Friends- Now that the dust has settled and the kids are all back in school, we are hoping you can join us for a Ladies Night Out in celebration of our Grand Opening in Stevenson Village. Cocktails, sushi and shopping!!! Please see our attached invite.
Looking forward to seeing everyone,
xxoo Liza
Ray Mitchener, owner of fashion boutique Ruth Shaw, celebrates 40 years in business this weekend. He poses here with his stylish team of sales pros.
As anyone who has worked in women’s clothing will attest, retail is a tough business. To run a successful boutique for a few years is an admirable feat, but to thrive for 40 years, well, that’s nothing short of remarkable.
Tomorrow marks the fortieth anniversary of Baltimore high-end women’s clothing boutique Ruth Shaw. The store opened in 1973 by namesake Ruth Shaw, a former tennis clothing designer and renowned local fashionista before it was even a word! She sold the boutique in 2008 to her long-time manager and buyer Ray Mitchener, who has run the store with the same commitment to quality merchandise, the latest trends, top designers and more, features that have made the store a Baltimore institution.
The upscale boutique will celebrate “Forty Fabulous Years of Fashion” Saturday night with cocktails at its Cross Keys location and 100 close friends, supporters and, of course, the 85-year-old original owner Ruth Shaw.
We caught up with current owner Ray Mitchener, who has played a huge role in establishing the store’s brand while helping to run the business for the last 35 years (he was a model for Versace, Ralph Lauren and others before). He is known and respected in the fashion industry and the store’s national reputation — it has been recognized as a fashion leader by Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Lucky — has earned Ray access to the best and hottest European and American designers, and in the store, it shows!
He gave us a few insights into the secrets of his success…
You have kept a high-end designer business alive for 40 years in Baltimore, which is not a high-end designer town. What is your secret?
I think the real reason we have enjoyed such longevity is that we constantly change and evolve with our clients, listening to their wishes and demands and nurturing our relationships with them.
I am forever seeking the “next and now” in fashion and trying to bring it to Baltimore, keeping in mind that it has to be wearable and somewhat practical. I think the keys of staying in business for over forty years is staying relevant.
It is my greatest joy to help a woman discover more about herself through clothing.
Why did you decide to buy the boutique?
I bought the store in 2008 because, working with Ruth for so many years, it was a natural succession. I love what I do. I want to continue the legacy of Ruth Shaw.
What has changed about retail since you started working in it years ago?
The changes that have made the biggest impact on the fashion industry from my perspective are the accessibility of clothing through internet shopping, the fact that designers are accessible to the masses via product lines for Target, Kohls, Uniqlo, and others. Lastly, our relaxed dress codes have changed fashion, too.
The twice-yearly High Point Furniture Market is underway, and I am heading down there, so I can report to you on all of the latest trends, styles and colours that you’ll be seeing over the next six to twelve months. This is the third time I’ve been, and once again, I am sponsored by Hooker Furniture.
Hooker’s been very smart in setting up a Pinterest page, and using the ideas and suggestions from their followers to incorporate into their furniture. Last fall, they debuted the first Pinterest-driven collection. The chair above reflects two very current trends – animal prints and the emerald green, which was chosen as Pantone’s colour of the year.
The time for submitting terrific tykes to Wee Chic’s Little Characters Search ended last week. View the final gallery and see which tot is your favorite.
We don’t envy panelists Maria Dennis, show host on radio station 106.5, Hillary Geisbert, style editor at Baltimore magazine, and Janelle Diamond, editor at Baltimore Bride, who will make the final selection of the the Little Characters. It’s too tough to choose just a few from the 600 plus candidates!
My friend Stephanie owns a lovely shop called The House Downtown, and it’s always been one of my favourite places to check out the latest home décor trends. She’s got a marvelous eye and the shop always looks terrific to me.
Stephanie saw flaws where I didn’t, and she just wanted to freshen up the shop.So for the past seven weeks, the shop’s been closed and getting a makeover. I stopped in this afternoon to see it at about 85% complete and it looks fabulous!
