Boutiques in Austin are a dime a dozen nowdays, so sometimes I forget about the old standbys, like Emeralds. Long occupying primo 6th & Lamar real estate, the clothing and gift shop is a spot of some confusing identities–$25 tops next to $425 dresses–but nonetheless a great place to find something to wear.
The shoe selection is relatively cheap and top notch. I found some stellar purple heels that were a smidge too small, but I wanted to buy them anyway AND they were only $40. I didn’t end up getting them, but I’m jealous of anyone who they will fit and can buy them.
Up front they have some expensive dresses and mid-range jewelry, but head to the color-coded (nice!) racks and you’ll find relatively cheap tops, skirts, and even dresses for going out or a liberally-dress-coded office, like a creative industry. They also have quality basics from Michael Stars. I need to stop by more often to snag cute, relatively inexpensive going-out clothes!
I also stopped by Peyton’s Place for a quick perusal, and while I was disappointed in the quantity of clothing–and the price points have gone up a bit since they opened a year or so ago–I did buy a good basic cotton slip/dress, which is similar to what I bought the only other time I went: basic black flats. So it may be just me, but it seems like their basics are cheap and their not-basics, while cute, are not so cheap.
One thing Peyton’s Place has going for it is that I brought along a guy friend on this shopping excursion, and the cute salesgirl asked him if he wanted a cupcake. He said no (how can he resist?!) but asked her for a beer, and she said, “Oh, I think we have some left over from a party we threw,” and returned to ask if he’d prefer Tecate, Dos XX, or Corona? He was thrilled (and chose Tecate).
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