What's new for December

NEW SHOPS

Riveted
Searching for a new pair of jeans? Now you have one more venue to find the perfect pair. This new shop in West Edge/Downtown/Pioneer Square (depending on who you ask) is sure to draw those with bucks to burn on the hottest, best-fitting denim. The focus here is on style and hard-to-find brands for men and women. The hip décor is reason enough to go — you want to be seen shopping here. The enormous space features opposing exposed brick walls, wood and metal display cases, shimmery copper-colored concrete flooring, crystal chandeliers suspended from 15-foot high ceilings, and a 1954 Velocette Venom motorcycle in the window.

The trio of owners — Lex Petras, Ward Van Allen and Allison Cornia — is knowledgeable about the fit of the more than 20 denim lines in 65 styles the store stocks. "We can get you in and out pretty quick," says Petras. Some notable brands include Nudie, Odyn, Robin's and The Stronghold. The latter is a reincarnated old-school brand that boasts Charlie Chaplin as one of its original models. Prices for these of-the-moment jeans are $150-$750. Riveted also carries T's by Buddhist Punk, Zooey and others. T's range from $60-$120.

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"Boogie Fou" ostrich dyed feather purse by Moo Roo; $676.

Armcandy
Owner Kacy Yom considers the handbags in her shop modern art. Indeed, the intimate boutique in historic Ballard is part art gallery, part handbag history lesson and part fashion magnet for those seeking upscale, unique accessories. The self-proclaimed "incurable fashionista" combined her graphic arts and travel background to create a shop with a well-curated selection of purses from national and international designers.

Yom overcame a limited budget and tiny corner space with her creative use of angular lines, industrial architectural elements, and by drawing the eye not only to the arm candy but to historical handbag facts printed on the walls. Yom carries only nine designers, and has managed to come up with a coherent collection through careful selection of unusual purses by Jalda, Bliss Lau, Deborah Lewis, Moo Roo, Grace Ann Agostino, Elaine Turner, Piatonna, Monica Garcia and Lulu Guinness — I love the big, red lip-shaped purse by this last designer.

With only one of each exclusive style available, Yom spares women from the embarrassment of having identical bags. It also encourages quick decision making — if you like it, buy it or kiss it good-bye. Prices average $200-$600 and go up to $1,000.

Tiger Tiger
It seems like acres of recycled clothes, but in reality, this new clothing exchange store is 8,500 square feet, with women's apparel downstairs and men's upstairs. The cavernous shop, painted in loud colors of red, yellow and orange, sports a jungle theme. AstroTurf carpets the floors, and there are plans to hang cascading plastic vines from the upper floor. Stuffed tigers of the toy variety crouch in the windows and adorn the walls along with kitschy jungle-inspired tapestries. The dressing rooms have custom-made curtains made everything from faux-fur fabric to a presidential tapestry of JFK embellished with orange dingle-ball trim.

Perfectly situated on "The Ave," the shop draws its clientele from the nearby University of Washington and from customers seeking to stretch their clothing dollar or in search of a costume. "Vintage" clothing (from 1985 or earlier) is mixed in with the "new" (aka recycled). Clothing is grouped by item, then color, then age. There's usually a line at the buying counter to get cash or credit for clothes. But standards are high — everything must be clean and according to the flier, "Style is the most important."

Hot items of the moment for guys include shearling coats for men ($42-$150), well-worn T-shirts (around $12), Levi 501s, and men's western wear. Girls go for the funky vintage sweaters ($12-$18) and snazzy skirts ($12-$18).

Truly
This tiny Fremont card-and-paper shop took over the space formerly occupied by shoe shop Frankie (which moved to a shared space with Burnt Sugar). Designer Jodi Davis works in her on-site studio in the back and has a funky, cozy retail space up front. Using a technique that's increasingly rare, Davis silk-screens cards, paper and notebooks by hand using bold colors, and she decorates with sweet and amusing images such as buzzing bees, hippos, cupcakes and cattails. The cards appeal to everyone from Grandma to sophisticated friends. Davis resisted adding T-shirts to her collection, but the demand caused her to cave, and now she offers T's printed with the simple, whimsical images of her cards. In addition to her designs, she plans to offer vintage items and ephemera.

Cards are $6, single sheets of paper are $4, and T's are $30.

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TATTERS

Tatters targets mature women who gravitate toward designer clothing with an edge.

Tatters
Choices are few for fashionable women on Mercer Island. So one of the fashionable Island residents decided to open her own store. Former nurse Michele Tesler opened the doors to her stylish boutique in a non-descript strip mall in November 2005. Targeting mature women who gravitate toward designer clothing with an edge, Tesler chooses pieces with interesting details, luxe fabrics and cuts that look sexy without exposing all your assets. Younger women shop here too — there's an array of skirts and tops that look great on anyone.

The intimate, shabby chic décor and comfy settee encourage tea sipping and chatting while you shop for designs by Missoni Sport, Habitual, Aimee G, Lars Anderson, Sarah Pacini, ELM, Re-Set and Min Chan. One of Tesler's talents is assisting women with choosing an entire outfit. "I want them to take the leap from boring basics to sensational and leave with something they love," she says. Prices are spendy — you're paying for quality and brand. Pieces range from around $300 to $1,600, but you'll also find cashmere scarves for under $200.

SECOND LOCATIONS & EXPANSIONS

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Pretty Parlor on Capitol Hill.

Pretty Parlor
Flamboyant Pretty Parlor proprietress Anna Lange just opened a second location on Capitol Hill, in the same space as the original Pretty Parlor before she moved to Phinney Ridge. Both stores are filled with vintage clothing and locally made, independent designs. Never tiring of her pink-on-pink color scheme, Lange's new space is covered in fuchsia and bubblegum pink from ceiling to floor. The party princess, dress-up queen, clothing designer and bossa-nova singer (obviously a woman of many talents) constructed an in-store runway for her many fashion shows, and installed a vintage display case for costume jewels and a vintage photo booth to capture those crazy party moments. You might find girls seated on the bright-orange vinyl counter stools chatting about their love life or a potential outfit while you shop.

Along with feminine vintage styles a la Audrey and Jackie O, you'll find a swinging selection of men's clothing and local designs by Agent X, Crystalyn Kae, Glam Garb by Gunlis, Pin-Go-In, Suzabelle, Zuzupop and others. The new store also houses Ruthie's Sewing Shop. Seamstress Ruthie Nicklaus offers in-house tailoring and custom made-to-order garments, from flattering jeans to skirts and tops, under the Ruthie's Uniform label.

Derek Andrew
This dazzlingly beautiful and very sparkly Eastside boutique just got better. It's added 2,000 square feet to the store, more crystal chandeliers, and brought in more of everything including jeans, lingerie, handbags, belts, and bath and body products. With the additional space, veteran designers/owners Cynthia and Derek Federman are now able to show a more complete collection of their own lines: the rock 'n' roll inspired but feminine and glittery Twisted Heart label, and the casual but trendy Twill 22.

New items of note: a huge collection of rhinestone-studded belts, Eden jeans, Antique Boutique handbags from Paris, Nanadebary eau de toilette, Eberjey lingerie, and Splendid T's. For trend-driven children, Derek Andrew now carries True Religion jeans ($100-$182) and Juicy Couture T-shirts ($44).

Edie's
Realizing a dire need for fashionable shoes in West Seattle, Erin Dolan opened a second location of Edie's. A somewhat smaller replica of her original store on Capitol Hill, Dolan displays her shoes in spare surroundings. White walls, simple shelves and pedestals spotlight urban-style shoes, trendy athletic brands and comfortable fashion-forward footwear for men and women. Known for her large selection of Camper, she also carries Asics, Puma, Gentle Souls and Ben Sherman, plus Gravis bags and locally designed Coal hats and scarves.

Stop by Thursday, Dec. 15 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the grand opening.

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