Sold Out

Much like the electricity bill, the dollar amount spent on summer clothing is traditionally much less than for fall and winter. The warm weather demands less covering altogether, and light, washable fabrics that can be breezily tossed in the wash after each sweaty summer day are more appealing than anything that asks to be dry-cleaned. […]

Perhaps you’ve already ventured out to 2305 NW Savier, where Liza Rietz set up shop at July’s end with her eponymous line of modern womenswear. If so, you probably know that the studio/storefront was never intended to be a solitary venture. This Friday marks the grand opening of Liza Rietz and a broken spoke, as […]

If shopping was as easy as picking out something that you like, and can afford, it would be amazing that I could come up with something to say about it every week. Luckily, we live in an era during which anything can be made complicated. Mounting panic over the environment and the exponentially increasing globalization […]

The city seems to be growing like a weed, with new restaurants and boutiques sprouting up every time you turn around. It’s an indication of our burg’s health that you almost never hear of these places closing, so revel in the expanse of locally owned choices that make shopping Portland the eclectic joy that it […]

Ideally there will be a time when shopping according to a general standard of ethics requires little research and effort on the part of the consumer. But for a few local exceptions (stores that specialize in locally produced clothing, for instance), it’s rare to be able to walk into a store that’s done the work […]

I’m concerned. The eco/green/sustainable/ethical fashion movement has become so prominent, such a hot topic, a marketing maneuver, the stuff of special magazine issues, that I’m convinced the bubble is going to burst and the fickle industry will turn its back on the environment forever. The most polluting and man-made textiles will be sought after in […]

Hopefully you haven’t gone too nuts with the Nordstrom‘s anniversary sale (ahem, it runs until August 6), because sales based closer to home are starting to heat up: The summer sale at Halo Shoes (1425 NE Broadway) is on, as well as at Phlox (3962 N Mississippi), where you’ll find 25 to 50 percent off […]

In the dog days of summer, it’s hard to get Portlanders to do anything serious. After months of drizzle, all you want to do is flop down at the river, and not wear anything you couldn’t go running through a sprinkler in. It is appropriate, then, that we find ourselves confronted with Rock the Runways, […]

Nobody said life was fair. And just like women have to deal with inconveniences like birth control, glass ceilings, and a difficulty in peeing while standing up, men have to deal with the fact that, generally speaking, their clothes just aren’t as fun. Shopping is great for the Portland woman, but the fellas have it […]

Insofar as roughly three out of every 10 days are nice enough to go swimming, summer has arrived in Portland. Its rickety start probably means you haven’t thought to update your water wear, but it’s July; time to jump in. You can always opt for the obvious (Portland Swimwear, Jantzen, the malls, and department stores), […]

The only reliable thing in fashion is that it will always change, and change in Portland is epidemic. Ten years ago, I counted cockroaches in a hotel room that is now part of the vaunted Ace Hotel, and watched clubgoers across the street at what is now the airy and swank Living Room Theaters. Other […]

With all the grim talk of our economy, it’s really nice to hear about a local company whose business is booming. Said company is Sameunderneath (915 N Shaver), which is preparing to open its second storefront in two years, in the former Souchi location at 806 NW 23rd. Started in 1999 by founder Ryan Christensen, […]