The Fashion District is home to a bunch of wholesalers and really cheap/discounted clothes and accessories. What I didn't realize before we went is that it also houses tons of fabric stores (as well as other crafty stuff like yarn, beads, lace)! Anyone who knows me knows that I like clothes, but I LOVE yarn and fabric to an almost unhealthy level.
This was the very first store we went in. As you can see it's full of lace and other fabric trims. Everything was so pretty! It really made me want to learn to sew... I still have a little cheap sewing machine that I haven't learned to use yet (though I have big plans to hem a pair of jeans and make a robot pillow for Ryan... haha).
The area is not what I'd refer to as classy (think corrugated steel roll-down storefronts, sale stickers, storekeepers giving you the evil eye, etc), but it kinda adds to the feeling that you're digging for something unique. This store had a really funky smell that hit as soon as you walked in, but the fabric section was AMAZING. We didn't get pictures, but there was also a big yarn section toward the front. The yarn was pretty much all pricey ($32 marked down from $45 for a tiny skein of cashmere and angora blend, whatta deal), but the selection was similar to most of my favorite fancy yarn boutiques (window shopping only for me) in San Francisco. In this particular atmosphere it felt kinda like--and I say this with the maximum amount of affection possible--dumpster diving. In an AWESOME way.
When I explained what the Fashion District was, some of my friends rightly questioned my definition of "cheap," since I do currently work for a semi-pricey retail store, and let's face it, "cheap" doesn't mean what it used to these days. I had my doubts too, but it was, in fact, CHEAP. On the clothes side I mostly looked at shoes, and although they did go higher (up to the high high price of $10), there were tons and tons of shoes for $5. Really cute, and the quality was no worse than you'd get at, say, Wet Seal. Not exactly high quality, but shit, for that price you could wear them once and throw them out. I forgot to take pictures so you'll have to take my word for it, but they were SO cute. My favorite ones were vinyl peep-toe heels in a rose pink. Also: strappy pink sandals with shiny gold plates on the straps and deep purple velour ballet flats with lace and pearl trim. I am not the kind of person to describe shoes in such detail, but FIVE DOLLARS, MAN, FIVE DOLLARS. Okay, I'm done.
Because I'm about to be down to my last $5 or so after this month's bills, I did not get any of the shoes, but I did get a gaudy cocktail ring for $1. Kelsey got one too:
It's already turning my finger green, but who cares?Anyway, the ring thing is a good segue into something else I want to talk about. Kelsey's sister Bri is an actor, and she's playing several roles in a comedy that she also wrote and is currently fundraising for. Kelsey (who's doing costumes/hair/makeup for the film) thought an over-the-top cocktail ring would be perfect for one of the characters, so she picked one up for Bri too. The film is called GUT-TO-GO and the idea grew out of a New York Times article that claims that a beer gut is the new trend for guys. It's being directed by Will Wallace, and Ryan might get to help as a PA :) Bri's news site with info on the film is here. I just wanted to mention it because it's really inspiring to me to see how Bri (and their whole family) is working so hard to make this film a success!
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