we almost forgot, every building is a shop, every person is a shopper

as i've gotten older, i've started to hate malls. they're convenient, yes, but the bustle and traffic (especially in northern virginia) make me anxious. plus, mall real estate politics are more than a little bit disgusting (lesser known stores generally have to pay much higher rents, encouraging chains over small businesses).

consequently, the internet has become my new one stop place to shop. ebay is a great resource, but i don't like the idea of being literally tethered to consumerism (once i bid on something, that's it. i obsessively check the auction to see if i've been outbid. currently i won't feel relief for another four days, one hour and 31 minutes...and ticking.)

my favorite places to look are small internet boutiques, or small boutiques that do a lot of online sales.

two shops i like are bona drag and shop. both have an amazing collection of different designers, they're a pleasure to deal with, and they always send little presents with your order. heather of bona drag makes amazing mix cds (when i saw that the first song on mine was by lavender diamond, i knew we were a match made in heaven.) she also has a fantastic blog.


reversible patchwork skirt, $242 at bona drag.


tibi tweed cap sleeve shift dress, $171 at shop.

my newest source is sotto, a portland-based boutique. i haven't ordered anything from them yet, but with all the lovely things (charlotte ronson, blood is the new black, mooka kinney), it probably won't be long until i do. i'll let you know how it goes.


blood is the new black "hair" tee by milano chow, $37 at sotto.

if you're looking for boutiques, where to buy certain labels, or anything else about independent fashion, jargol is a great resource. when i was looking for my mooka kinney jumper, all i had to do was type in the name and i got a list of stockists, including whether they do e-commerce. each brand and shop in jargol's (huge) database has a write-up about it as well.

just a note: i can understand the trepidation about online shopping as sizing is uncertain. luckily, most shops have good return policies and will be more than accommodating if you email them any questions on fit. my advice is to just make sure you know their policies before ordering and when in doubt, size up (my tailor is basically my best friend. i'm not even five feet tall, so everything is too big for me.)

with all this being said, happy shopping! (just don't do too much of it. mindless consumerism is never a good thing.)