You know I'm always crowing about how good Portland is for shopping; similar to the quality of our restaurant scene, Portland's indie retail is ridiculously diverse and cultured for a city of this size (and tax free, bitches). And just as we can't all eat out every night, it can be difficult to afford to patronize these sophisticated, brilliantly curated places as often as we might like.

What they call the "mid-price point" in boutique shopping—cheaper than designer, not as cheap as the Kirkland brand sweater set from Costco—has been something of a weak spot in Portland of late. SE Hawthorne's Communion identified this when it opened last year, stocking brands like Cheap Monday and Bridge & Burn, which are cool, thoughtful, on-point brands, but they won't kill your budget. Happily Portland just acquired another store targeting the same comfort level: Victory just reopened on the booming strip of inner E Burnside with a stock of womenswear (sorry guys, but menswear is still down the road for this one) designed around many of the same qualities that people prize at spendier shops: small, independent lines, domestic production, and a good eye. In this week's Sold Out column I interviewed owner Nicole Funke. Check it out if you're in the market for a new shopping destination; she and I are both pretty sure you're gonna like it.

Fact: The name Nicole is of Greek origin and means people of victory.
  • Bri Wills
  • Fact: The name "Nicole" is of Greek origin and means "people of victory."