Store

Love labels but not the price tags? With a background in retail and designer clothing and a taste for fabulous fashion, Betty Lin opened her new boutique, Betty Blue, in September 2004 in Pioneer Square. It's hard to say "discount," "couture," and "designer" in the same sentence, but that's exactly what Lin's brought to Seattle. With her retail connections in New York, Chicago, Dallas and other cities, her shop serves as a sort of clearing house for all the best boutiques nationwide.

Lin's shop is filled with past-season runway labels such as Valentino, Guy LaRoche, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney and many others for 60-75 percent off retail prices. She's enthusiastically adamant that these clothes be given a second chance. "I think at the designer level, clothing is made to last and has intrinsic value. People buy these pieces as investments and they last longer than one season."

So, what does "discount" mean in the designer world? I saw a really cute wine-colored Emanuel Ungaro herringbone jacket with leather elbows patches and rabbit fur collar dyed to match the jacket, for $695. The original price was $1,735. Hmmm, should I get a jacket or a round-trip ticket to Prague?

Lin carries predominantly women's clothing, but stocks men’s as well. Racks are filled with T-shirts, cocktail dresses and everything in between in her urban-hip Soho-style boutique. Need shoes or a handbag to go with that Yohji Yamamoto dress? She also carries Sondra Roberts handbags at regular prices ($75-$350).

By Kathy Schultz
NWsource shopping columnist