There's more to Anchorage retail than polar fleece and Croc clogs. Fashion-obsessed shopper Leslie Boyd will spot hot trends, scout the shops and bring you the cool goods. She doesn't mind doing the footwork if she can shop for cute shoes along the way.
'Wonderful looking coats' - 5/5/2008 11:03 pm
Salon Ivy and Stage Left are jump starting summer - 5/2/2008 1:44 am
Hey, it'll still help the environment - 4/30/2008 8:46 pm
After today, I'll need shop therapy myself - 4/28/2008 7:36 am
Get your runway walk on - 4/21/2008 10:14 pm
Sites size you up for a perfect fit - 4/21/2008 8:06 am
Dress options remain for that special evening - 4/14/2008 12:49 pm
Cupcakes and consignment - 4/11/2008 5:51 pm
She Boutique is turning 1! - 4/11/2008 6:40 am
Vylna's fulfills prom-dress dreams - 4/7/2008 10:29 pm
Shop the eco-chic sale - 4/3/2008 9:55 am
It’s a carnival party, no clownin’! - 4/3/2008 9:45 am
For jewelry artist, Etsy touts talent in a teacup - 3/31/2008 10:10 am
Hair did, help kids - 3/27/2008 4:11 pm
New trends bloom in spring fashions - 3/24/2008 9:32 am
Vogue embodies fashion's diversity - 3/18/2008 3:34 pm
Think spring; think cute workout clothes - 3/17/2008 9:34 am
Sale at Out of the Closet - 3/11/2008 4:16 pm
About Face opens second store - 3/11/2008 4:10 pm
Feel like going shopping? Check out these Web sites - 3/10/2008 2:32 pm
‘It was just like mecca’ - 3/7/2008 6:06 pm
Bella's got crafty clothes too - 3/7/2008 4:03 pm
MAY 5, 2008 - 11:03 PM
I love the season. The weather's turned a bit toward spring and there's a local parade of lighter-weight coats with cute cuts and striking colors. Just today I was distracted by shades of blue: the bright turquoise trench spotted in the coffee shop and the teal houndstooth jacket strolling down the stairs at work.
So I was particullarly charmed by this weekend's New York Times Sunday Style On the Street feature. Bill Cunningham's ramblings on the spring coat (and a few comments on "real" clothes) are endearing, if not totally spot on.
MAY 2, 2008 - 1:44 AM
Want to head out a little early for First Friday or start your weekend with some style? Salon Ivy is celebrating the grand opening of its new location on Sixth Avenue and part of the fun is a summer fashion show. The salon is teaming up with Stage Left boutique to show off summer trends from head to toe.
If you go, you can sign up to win a complete makeover -- hair, clothes, you name it -- courtesy of both the salon and boutique.
Interested? Celebrate Salon Ivy’s new location, 238 E. Sixth Ave. across the street from Office Depot, from 4 to 9 p.m. today.
APRIL 30, 2008 - 8:46 PM
Remember the "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" tote bag from last fall? (Maybe you don't because we live in Alaska ...) This one is sooo much better.
APRIL 28, 2008 - 7:36 AM
I spent a night last week helping one of my friends figure out what to wear for a job interview. She's in her late 20s, but this is the first time she'd ever had to interview for a "real" job -- you know, the serious kind that includes a 40-hour workweek and benefits.
We moved through her closet, mulling over the many wardrobe malfunctions she wanted to avoid -- exposing too much skin, weird cuts and shapes that might force her to fuss with the fabrics, getting too hot.
She tried on patterned tunic tops and brightly colored cardigan sweaters, but nothing seemed to satisfy. She felt too young; clothes felt too small. She shrugged her shoulders, sucked air in through clenched teeth and gave me looks that clearly said she wasn't feeling any of it.
APRIL 21, 2008 - 10:14 PM
Lulu E. Bebe is bringing the runway back this spring. The Moda Runway Show is scheduled for May 30, and it’s shaping up to be bigger and better than any Lulu show you’ve ever seen. Like celebrity designer big!
But first there’s a need for models.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to walk the runway, the model call is 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Here’s the catch: You have to be registered in advance to participate.
Interested? Give Lulu E. Bebe boutique a call at 522-5858, get yourself scheduled and find out what you need to wear.
APRIL 21, 2008 - 8:06 AM
Every so often I get inquiries from local ladies who want to hire a personal stylist. Most ask if there's an Alaska version of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly out there to grab them by their out-of-date outfit and shake some sartorial sense into them.
No one I've encountered in my shopping adventures yet matches that "What Not To Wear" description of personal styling. Until then, here are a few Web sites designed to make your shopping experience -- online or otherwise -- better.
At the very least, each site can help you think about how to better style your body.
APRIL 14, 2008 - 12:49 PM
Perfect prom dreams are contagious.
I bet that even in those of you who publicly malign prom and all the awkward memories you might have, the desire for an enchanted evening still lingers below the surface. And after visiting what could easily be considered Anchorage's prom mecca last week, I was ready to zip up a zebra-print dress and buckle strappy silver stiletto sandals.
Several local proms are still to come during the next few weeks. So I dug in to discover any prom-going trends and figure out just how far the local prom-prepping scene has come at Anderson's Bride.
APRIL 11, 2008 - 5:51 PM
Heads up on one more weekend stop you should make: The Clothesline Consignment is hosting its monthly cupcake sale from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Look for a clearance rack, cupcakes and discounts. Hooray!
The Clothesline Consignment is at 1441 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Suite A. Call 677-2773 for more information.
APRIL 11, 2008 - 6:40 AM
And to celebrate, there’s a sale. Discounts on sale items will be up to 75 percent off, and select new merchandise will be 25 percent off.
The sale started Wednesday and runs through April 26. But the real fun is Saturday, when there’ll be champagne and cupcakes and chances to win a $250 gift card.
She Boutique is located at 320 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 132 (access the store on Sixth Avenue between C and D streets). Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Call 929-5655 for more information.
APRIL 7, 2008 - 10:29 PM
The first time I bought a dress at Vylna's Boutique Fashions I was on my way to the junior prom.
When I was in high school, Vylna's was the place to shop for formal wear, and the boutique was known for racks filled with Jessica McClintock gowns in every shade and shape in style that season.
Owner Vylna Mathis also had a reputation for protecting your style identity by keeping track of who bought what and where it was to be worn.
"We try to remember everybody's name, and we try to remember what they bought," Mathis told me last week. "And we all the time try to protect everybody so they would not be wearing the same thing at the same party.
APRIL 3, 2008 - 9:55 AM
Make it Earth day everyday—at least in April—with Circular’s sale. The downtown eco-chic boutique is offering discounts on clothing and home décor throughout the month.
Linda Loudermilk pieces (oh, how I long for that white “fur” coat! You know the one I’m talking about, right?) and women’s Loomstate clothing is all 10 percent off. Select men’s clothing is 40 percent off, and children’s clothing is 20 percent off.
Circular also has lots of new goods to check out too. Clothing by Rebe, made custom for Circular, uses vintage fabrics and double organic Japanese cotton gauze. A new line of jewelry, Twist Style, is crafted from antique brooches and beads.
APRIL 3, 2008 - 9:45 AM
De La Roche: Headbands made by local designer Elizabeth Roche will be featured at Lulu E. Bebe's spring carnival party Friday.
Lulu E. Bebe boutique is throwing a carnival party to celebrate spring—and spring clothes, of course! Expect new merch, lots of bright colors and all the fun, young styles you’re used to at the Midtown boutique.
The party will also showcase local accessories designer Elizabeth Roche’s line of headbands. The hairpieces are vintage inspired and one-of-a-kind.
MARCH 31, 2008 - 10:10 AM
Annie's Etsy: Annie Ciszak made her first teacup ring for a buyer on Etsy. Her miniatures include rings shaped like tiny cake slices and coffee cups filled with pearls, which she calls "cappuccinos."
Annie Ciszak is one crafty lady -- in so many ways.
Consider them: Ciszak is the mind behind Annie's Arts and Follies, a local line of handmade metal jewelry. She's part of the Bella Boutique duo that has created a Midtown home for locally made jewelry and other assorted feminine accessories. She's also a mighty force in the Anchorage Craft Mafia, a collection of crafters who are bringin' crafty back by hosting local shows and fairs.
MARCH 27, 2008 - 4:11 PM
Salon Ginger in Midtown Anchorage is one of two salons in Alaska (the other is in Fairbanks) that are participating in a nationwide kid’s cut-a-thon Sunday to support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
You can get a kid’s haircut for $10 and your own done for $15, and all the money will benefit the foundation. Services include shampoo, haircut and blow dry—no chemical services, such as highlights or perms.
The cut-a-thon is 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Salon Ginger, 2217 E. Tudor Road, Suite 13. Call 561-0032 for more information.
MARCH 24, 2008 - 9:32 AM
Cute boots: ShedRain boots are $19.99 at local Fred Meyer locations.
This is one of those weeks I didn't get to spend much time roaming the racks. But I saw just enough to offer this roundup of information for your shopping pleasure:
SPRING HAS SPRUNG IN COLORS, PRINTS
If you're paying attention to spring trends, I'm sure you've at least heard mention of how popular corals and oranges are in the makeup world. (Check out the Eye on Beauty blog for one local makeup guru's recap of spring trends.)
MARCH 18, 2008 - 3:34 PM
The April issue of Vogue hasn’t landed in my mailbox yet, but the fashion and the sports world are both abuzz that Cleveland Cavaliers’ star LeBron James poses on the cover with supermodel Giselle Bundchen.
It’s only the third time in history that a male celebrity has appeared on the cover of the magazine as style icon. George Clooney posed with Bundchen in 2000, and Richard Gere graced the cover with then-girlfriend Cindy Crawford in 1992.
It’s the “Shape Issue,” and the tease to the story that includes James and Bundchen reads, “Secrets of the Best Bodies.”
MARCH 17, 2008 - 9:34 AM
"New clothes always motivate me to work out," one of my friends said as we flipped through racks of bright-pink Lycra and shiny windproof jackets last week.
And working out is on our minds because the sun is playing peekaboo -- a reminder that, before we know it, we might have the weather to wear short sleeves and sundresses.
For those of you who think sports bras and yoga pants are necessary before tank tops and bikini bottoms, add The Female Athlete and Team Store to your shopping stops.
The store, which officially opened its doors a year ago, is divided into two parts. The Female Athlete part specializes in athletic wear for women, and the Team Store section is all about providing team gear -- men's and women's -- for practically any sport.
MARCH 11, 2008 - 4:16 PM
The signs in Out of the Closet’s windows are practically screaming “SALE!” And it is a sale worth screaming about. The consignment shop’s end-of-winter discounts, which started Friday, are on all clothing, shoes and accessories (jewelry is not included) and are 25 to 75 percent off. The sale runs through this Saturday.
Out of the Closet is at 720 D St. Call 277-6119 for more information.
MARCH 11, 2008 - 4:10 PM
Bath, body and beauty boutique About Face opened a new location last Friday on the Southside. You can find the new digs on the corner of Old Seward Highway and Dimond Boulevard, two doors down from Starbucks.
The second store will carry most of the brands and styles you’re used too, including P.J. Salvage loungewear, Simone Perele lingerie and L’Occitane beauty products. But you can also look for new lines not offered at the downtown location in the coming weeks.
About Face’s downtown location is at 720 D St. The new Southside location is at 1005 E. Dimond Blvd. Call 279-3223 or 336-3223 for more information.
MARCH 10, 2008 - 2:32 PM
It's Monday, and you probably could have used a longer weekend. Since we can't shop for that, grab your soy latte, Kombucha or whatever it is that you find morning solace in, settle in front of your computer, and stall the workweek by clicking through these style sites.
Shades of green: Bigger brands you'll recognize (AG Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, C & C California) and smaller ones you might not (Black Halo, Mara Hoffman, Lara Miller) make up the cyber racks at Tobi. But what's most attractive is how this site embraces the green movement--recycled packaging, a hefty offering of eco-conscious brands and a partnership with Carbon Fund, an organization that promotes reducing and offsetting carbon emissions -- without making you feel as if you have to become an uber eco-fashionista overnight.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
© Copyright 2008, The Anchorage Daily News, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Company 
Contact Us | Newsroom Contacts | Communication Forms | Subscriptions | Advertising | Terms of Use
Daily News Jobs | RSS Feeds | ADN Store | Newspapers in Education | Privacy Agreement
