Tag Archives: tucson fashion writer

Tribal Vibes

by

fullsizeoutput_32bb

Around the desert, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for authentic turquoise jewelry, but a cool shop on Etsy offers up stunning cuffs, rings and necklaces for affordable prices. This $48 turquoise cuff is from ZamarutJewel on the crafting site and has the same vibe as the pricier findings around town.

The shop owner, favorited by more than 12,000 Etsy customers, sells vintage tribal and bohemian pieces from around the world, featuring stones from Afghanistan, Nepal, India and Pakistan. “Each piece of jewelry has a story, every stone tells a tale,” her site says. “The pieces come from various regions around the world.”

 

It’s More Fun Buying Used Clothes…

by

 

A pink fringe skirt. A white feather and lace dress. White snow boots and a vintage leather jacket.

They are all things I have bought used this past year in Tucson and online, and all of them garnered more compliments than my new clothes. In fact, I now have more fun buying used clothes than new. TheRealReal founder, Julie Wainwright, said it best when she commented last year, “People don’t care if their clothes are new anymore.”

It’s also one thing Tucson does really well! This desert city is a hub not only of edgy, but luxury resale fashion. After working at the stylish Posh Boutique for three years, I won’t buy a new designer bag again. Like ever. If I need a ski sweater or sweet cowboy boots, I will head to Buffalo Exchange. When my kids want to go thrifting, they sell and buy at Plato’s Closet. And when I’m looking for other fashionable treasures I can’t find in T-town, I’m obsessed with ThredUp, an online resale marketplace.

Considering Australia is on fire largely because of climate change and our global glut of retail fashion is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases, buying resale and recycling our own clothing is something to seriously think about in 2020. I mean, the royals do it!

 

 

 

Need Wildcat Gifts? Check out these sites..

by

fullsizeoutput_3180

Attention Wildcat Nation: if you need unique Arizona gifts for your loved ones this year and haven’t had time to drive down to campus or to the other shops in T-town, one new place to check out is Zazzle! This site offers ornaments, shoes, Wildcat ribbon and gift bags, to name a few! This is a cool site! Several years ago, I created and ordered a T-shirt through this site that said “I Can’t Help Everyone in Tucson” for a dear friend!

If you need an Arizona whiskey decanter (everyone needs one with our record!), tree skirt or shoes, check out Fanatics.com! And finally, if you really love products featuring vintage images of Wilbur and Wilma, click on Vintage Brand.

Bear Down and Happy Holidays!

Wildcat Uggs at Target

by

Though it’s Cyber Monday, one of the coolest gifts I found requires you to get in your car and drive to the Target at Grant and Tanque Verde. Just look at these Wildcat Uggs!! (Not the real brand, just similar) Now, run on out and grab them today for $26, because the stock is running low. Finally, some creativity when it comes to Wildcat apparel! And who cares that we lost our last football game against our arch rival, finished at the very bottom of the Pac-12 South and won’t be seeing the Rose Bowl for yet another year. Certainly not this girl who loves football and dreams of a winning season every year. Nope, not me!

Let’s Beat ASU!

by

B5E2C84E-424C-42FE-A454-AA20F4F63171

Every year, I have high hopes that Arizona will finally make it to the Rose Bowl and every year, I am sad because we just can’t seem to GET THERE! But one day we will, and until then I will continue to watch our games with 8 pm and 9 pm kickoffs that no one on the East Coast will ever see! Let’s make this season a success by beating the Sun Devils. PLEASE!

Jason Wu at Kohl’s, Yes…Kohl’s

by

fullsizeoutput_30a8

So, as much as we all understand that Tucson is often an online shopping town, there are surprises that do happen in T-Town! And, while escaping The Home Depot–which always overwhelms this non-tool girl–I discovered that global women’s designer Jason Wu has a limited-time capsule collection at Kohl’s and it is not bad!

Wu, winner of the Swarovski Award for Womenswear at the CFDA Fashion Awards, has created some stunning jumpsuits and dresses, just in time for the holiday season. Seriously, worth a trip to your nearest Kohl’s! While there, you can also look at the fun new looks by Rock & Republic and Elle. Also, Kohl’s UA section (or should I say UArizona) offers some unique things you can’t always find other places.

Tucson Woman Ahead of Headband Trend

by
Embed from Getty Images

If you’ve taken notice of Duchess Kate’s newest obsession, it seems to be the high headband. And the royal is not the only fan. The headbands are all over Pinterest and even made Parade magazine’s 2019 Christmas Wish List.

But, I’d like to argue that my friend Griselda, whom we fondly call “Salma” bc of her movie-star looks, saw the trend coming before anyone else. She has been making beautiful, embellished headbands like those coveted by the duchess and other social media influencers for several months now.  You can find them, starting at $20 at Posh Boutique. Covered in velvet, satin and patterned fabric and studded with pearls and gemstones, this is a trend you don’t have to order. You can find it right here in Tucson!

You can also follow G’s instagram, ghobbies for more selection.

Did You Know?

by

img_1283

Happy Friday! Some fun facts y’all should know about our beloved T-town…

Jimmy Kimmel began his entertainment career at KRQ in Tucson

President John F. Kennedy once left his swimsuit at the Arizona Inn

Fitness mogul Denise Austin attended UArizona on a gymnastics scholarship

Rande Gerber, Mr. Cindy Crawford and friend of Clooney, graduated from UArizona with a marketing degree

Designer Stella McCartney grew up spending time on her dad’s ranch near the Rincon Mountains

 

 

 

 

 

Tucson Beauty Stores Up Their Glam Game

by

Sephora, Ulta and Bluemercury have all added coveted new brands to their stores that bring a bit of luxury to T-town. Before the luxe new additions, the product-obsessed had to travel to Phoenix, California, or any other state or city that actually had a Nordstrom, etc. But NOW, you can find Charlotte Tilbury, Patrick Ta and Huda Beauty at Sephora.  Bluemercury has added Chantecaille to its high-end offerings and Ulta has stocked the millennial fave Loving Tan that my teens used to have to order from Australia. This is progress people!

MSA Annex: Cool Shops in Shipping Containers

by

IMG_2557

In the shadow of A Mountain and next to Caterpillar’s new digs lies a hip shopping destination that’s another true example of Tucson low-key cool: MSA Annex.

The annex is a cluster of shops and eateries housed in repurposed shipping containers, just down the street from Mercado San Agustin in what is shaping up to be a popular market district on Tucson’s west side.

Stores include novelty Tucson items (Why I Love Where I Live); minimalist women’s vintage (Luca Ryann); home accessories and global skin care brands (Now or Never); and a destination bar and bottle shop (Westbound) among several others.

MSA Annex has been hosting Summer Night Markets throughout the past few months and is gearing up for Mercado Flea next month, in which vendors will be selling vintage items, antiques and collectibles along the sidewalks and parking lots between the annex and Mercado San Agustin.

A definite desert destination as the temps drop!