Author: verichmond

Keeping On Course

Posted on by verichmond in coffee shop

If you are a daring gypsy and brave the winter wind, what better sidekick could you want than a cup of Joe?  Uptown gypsies prefer to travel to Rue de la Course.  My favorite location sits on the corner of S. Carrollton and Oak Street in the revamped historical building.  The ancient architecture is embellished with mood lighting and big band tunes to form a perfect atmosphere for relaxation.

You can pair your cafe au lait with delicious pastries like the almond croissant or almondine bar, or taste their corn green-chili bisque and a warm sandwich.  They carry Boar’s Head deli meats, which have no hormones or antibiotic nasties added to taint the flavor.  If you’re feeling like a light meal, Rue de la Course has salads as well.

Hang out in the downstairs seating area or join the gargoyles drinking coffee up in the loft.  Bring your computer for free wi-fi or dig through the Wall Street Journal and other local papers (Gambit Weekly, Offbeat) available in the back corner of the building.  There is no shortage of interesting people to observe– and if you’re daring, take up a conversation with.

As a cash-only operation, you’re assured that you’ve taken part in a local delight altogether delicious.

Rue de la Course
1140 S. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118

Style Lab

Posted on by verichmond in Uncategorized

Magazine Street is yet again found as a generous harbor for fashionistas to dock.  Style Lab takes residence there, with high-end casual clothes for quality-conscious men.  With brand names like G-Star, Diesel, Ben Sherman, and Penguin, you can find Neiman Marcus-level clothes without having to brave the mall.

In true serendipitous fashion, I visited the boutique on the day that Mark Warner purchased it.  I had the honor of chatting with him about his new “baby” and can assure you that fresh shipments will be available just in time for the holiday.  Ben Sherman brand blazers and jackets bring the European cut to the Crescent city and I guarantee that you’ll look impress the ladies when you don these duds.

In addition to great imported brands, local designers such as Defend NOLA are available at Style Lab.  Renew Jewelry, made by a local designer , molds militaristic and religious themes with redesigned vintage pieces.  Last, Baxter products are featured to put the final touch on your new look.

Style Lab
3326 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70118

Fossil

Posted on by verichmond in clothing, shoes, watches

Around the holidays, one can’t help avoiding the dreaded word “mall.”  Luckily, I’ve found a unique store that you can find in the convenient indoor location of your local shopping center.  Tom Kartsotis, founder of Fossil, began selling and importing fashionable timepieces in the Dallas area in 1984.  He and his soon-to-be-wife, Lynne Stafford, designed the watches based on retro styles of the 1930s-1950s.

Today, Fossil sells not only watches, but wallets, handbags, and money-clips.  Select stores (such as the Lakeside store in New Orleans) feature apparel and shoes.  The Fossil name is synonymous with quality; with watches holding an 11-year warranty, as well as handbags and even shoes offering a one-year warranty.  I know that if I buy something from Fossil, it’s build to last.  Not only are there products durable, but they also meld trendy, modern styles with timeless vintage flair.  You’re guaranteed to have a unique but fashionable look, no matter what.

Fossil New Orleans
Lakeside Shopping Center
3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
Metairie, LA 70002

 

Get Truckin’

Posted on by verichmond in clothing

Following a lead from bridge.town.low.down blogger  Cameron Clowers, I moseyed on over to Truck Stop.  In an old, industrial building next-door to Stein’s Deli, J.R. Fields established his shop.  After a short 5 months in town, Truck Stop is moving along successfully.  Complete with vintage pump signage and bar seating, the store molds gasoline glamour and Southern wear  into a style that Fields calls “Classic Americana.”

The store is 90% vintage, with the remaining 10 going to new western shirts, select tees (from Bandit Brand and Horse & Bird),  kids clothes, and FRYE boots.  J.R.’s Truck Stop can boast the largest collection of true vintage sportswear, including biker jackets, suede blazers, and much more.  Married to the charming owner of Trashy Diva, Fields decided that going to Austin for stylish duds was getting tiresome.  He brought a bit of the Southwest flair to the Crescent City and the traffic flow is a sure sign that New Orleans can’t get enough.

Are you looking for a branded vintage belt or a pearl-snap button down? Look no further.  If you want to take a seat at the bar and have a soda out of an old-fashioned bottle while your woman tries on a holster and an “If You Ain’t Country, You Ain’t Shit” shirt, then this is the place for you!  If this doesn’t sell you, then the moose head smiling over the cash register is sure to change your mind.

Truck Stop
2209 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Monday-Sunday 12-6pm

Shoe Be Do

Posted on by verichmond in Uncategorized

The third place I ran across while scouring the Quarter was a boutique on Chartres called Shoe Be Do.  They had a great selection that ranged from pumps to boots and from stilettos to flats.  The great part about the shop is that it brings high-end up-and-coming International designers to our own Crescent City for a reasonable price.

In addition to quality shoes, you’ll find intricately-designed jackets from Belle Fare, lined with glamorous feathers or faux fur.  Each coat has a flare of the 1930s and you’re guaranteed to be stopped for compliments.  Shoe Be Do also sells a number of items, such as handbags and jewelry.

Shoe Be Do
324 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA  70130
View Larger Map

 

(No website yet for Shoe Be Do but keep looking!)

Be A Lush!

Posted on by verichmond in cosmetics

Ever since my first LUSH experience at the London store in 2007, I’ve been hooked. I was ecstatic to discover a Lush spring up in the French Quarter and even more surprised to find one in Macy’s!

If you’re against animal cruelty, vegan, love the environment, or just love handmade, deliciously scented cosmetics, Lush is the store for you. All Lush products are made by hand, taking special care to reduce the need for packaging, and with the finest organic fruits and vegetables. They offer body bars, skincare, hair products, shower gels and smoothies, bath bombs, and MUCH more!

Lush found its first home in London in the year 1995 and has since become a staple for celebrities and citizens all over the world. Today, you can find Lush stores anywhere from America to Down Under. Be sure to check out a location near you soon!

LUSH on Decatur St.
407 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70130

Hemline Hits Just Right

Posted on by verichmond in clothing

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, after having brunch in the French Quarter, I decided to take a little stroll around the worn streets and explore some new shops.  One of my favorite finds was Hemline, a great store for trendy outfits with a range of different price points.

With their first store opening in the Quarter 16 years ago, Brigitte & Luciano Holthausen have since established 10 other locations in the South/Midwest, including Nashville and Houston. In addition they offer convenient online shopping.

The Chartres store offers a wide array of great labels, ranging from Free People and French Connection to Cynthia Steffe and DDF. Hemline also has a great selection of designer denim like Miss Me and Seven For All Mankind, as well as shoes, belts, and jewelry.

What I find to be the best part about Hemline is the variance in price points. As one associate put it, “There’s something for everybody.” I was able to find attractive, unique items that could be bought either with a blank check or a budget.

Taking leisurely Sunday strolls in the Quarter definitely paid off! My next few blogs will feature shops set in the heart of the city. Come back next time to discover: LUSH.

Hemline Chartres
609 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA 70130


Other Locations

Relax with Jean Therapy

Posted on by verichmond in clothing

Right around fall, the anticipation of the holidays (and midterms, if you’re a student like me) do a number on your nerves. A little therapeutic shopping always manages to calm me down, and what better-suited name could a store have than Jean Therapy.

Locally, the name is associated with quality, designer jeans that range from skinny and light to dark and dirty. However, Jean Therapy offers a whole hell of a lot more than sexy denim (and they do have some very, very sexy denim).

Brother and sister duo Steven and Vicky are veterans of the jean business. Their family owned a string of “The Jean Scene” boutiques in the Crescent City and the two grew up helping out around shop.

Vicky noticed that traveling to LA and New York for good clothes was beginning to become tiresome. Why not bring fashion to New Orleans? In 2002, after “a sign from above” and a space on Magazine St. became available, the Adjmi siblings opened their first of four adult Jean Therapy stores.

Some of their most highly-coveted brands are Hudson, J Brand, Joe’s, Citizen for Humanity, and 7 For All Mankind. They also have a great collection of sunglasses, jewelry, and killer belts and boots (I’m going back for those on payday). Combining delicate, flowing tops with street-wise edgy pieces, you’re bound to find something that fits your wandering spirit just right.

Store Locations:
Uptown [map]:
5505 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: (504) 897-5535

French Quarter/Downtown [map]:
The Shops at Canal Place
333 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 558-3966

Metairie [map]:
Lakeside Shopping Center
3301 Veterans Blvd.
Metairie, LA 70002
Phone: (504) 833-6144

Baton Rouge [map]:
Mall of Louisiana
6401 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70836
Phone: (225) 767-0975

Warpaint: Anthems for the Free Spirit

Posted on by verichmond in new music

The true gypsy has a deep-seeded hunger for good music and the open road.  I recently discovered a band that encases all the beauty of the free spirit: Warpaint. The band could without a doubt be called a supernatural force hell-bent on ridding Tinseltown of its association with “superficiality.” (if you’ll pardon the vibrato).

In “Stars,” Warpaint weaves a gentle lullaby in a forest of waking dreams. With ghost-like vocals and cavernous guitar riffs, “Stars” evokes the raw emotion of lost love.  The haunting melodies linger long after the song is done and you’ll find yourself humming the bittersweet melody as you’re falling to sleep tonight. Enjoy!

 

Gogo Gadgets

Posted on by verichmond in jewelry shop

Necklace TreeNecklace and Cuff


Nestled away on Magazine Street between Josephine and St. Andrew is a little gem of a shop called Gogo.  Named after its owner, Gogo Borgerding, the boutique features a stunning collection of jewelry comparable in vibrance to the razzle-dazzle of the Moulin Rouge.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gogo and she is every bit as charming as her lovely creations.  A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, Borgerding drew inspiration for her cuff bracelets, earrings, and necklaces from the silver & anodized aluminum tumbler cups of the 1950s.  Her store mirrors the same charm of the era and features six other local designers’ work, as well as various gifts.

I’ve already bought two necklaces from Gogo and I know that I am irrevocably hooked as a life-long fan and patron.

Gogo Jewelry
2036 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130