Ten picks for back-to-school (or not) shopping.
Don't Fall Into the Gap
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Once a in a while, a great little shop opens up with a cryptic name, like Sunset Canyon, and we wonder why people are shopping at a retirement community. Well, the clothing store Sunset Canyon has re-emerged as Loop, a denim boutique with a phenomenal amount of styles for both sexes, from names like Rock & Republic, True Religion, Citizens of Humanity, 7 for All Mankind, Red Engine, Jake Agave and more. Guys, pay special attention to the übersexy Jake Agave shirts ($158) with stripes and contrasting cuffs and collars. Chicks dig a well-dressed boy.
Loop, 116 Don Gaspar Ave., 820-2337.
Size Does Matter
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Nambé has cornered the market on ginormonstrous metal bowls and platters that could easily double as housing. With names like Grande Tray and El Supremo Bowl, they massively attack any table setting while holding court for generous portions of holiday foodstuffs. If you don't have a huge gathering to impress with your titanic tabletop, you could use it as furniture until more people show up. Prices start at a hefty $557, though the modestly sized Fiesta Platter (13 x 22, $295) might do the trick, even if you're serving Godzilla's bird friend, Gaigan.
Nambé, 104 W. San Francisco St., 988-3574.
Nambé, 924 Paseo de Peralta, 988-5528.
2 Kool 4 Skool
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If there's one thing we've learned, it's that you can you walk into Design Warehouse and immediately be in a better mood. The bright colors, fab furniture and cheeky household goods provide a curriculum in good design. Grab some special back-to-school supplies like the Crayon Pen ($32) and the Acme Pen/Pencil set ($60) with retractable roller-ball pen and mechanical pencil designed to mimic the simplicity of a #2 pencil, while Playful Pups ($5) delightfully sharpen pencils. Pack lunch with style using the BYO neoprene lunch bag ($22), insulated and super-stretchy for stacking Tupperware. Add a Lunch Note ($5) from the sandwich-shaped note pad or conceal treats in Camouflage Sandwich bags ($5).
Design Warehouse, 101 W. Marcy St., 988-1555.
Shadows and Fog
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A silhouette print can be a little surreal and mysterious but absolutely, 100 percent sexy, especially if you're wearing this silk dress from Voom ($250) in one of this season's hottest colors, olive-y brownish tan. Details like the ivory, braided straps and waist-ties complement the cut-out pattern, making this dress super-sweet. Top it off with the Garden Jacket ($370) by 3J Workshop with its Sherlock-like plaid and embroidered birds and details like studs and zippered sleeves. The woodland theme is still a hot trend and the Outlaw boot ($99) by The People Have Spoken has an olive silhouette on a black background with antlered deer, tree branches with ravens and a nice marmot or two, all in a hip, rain boot style.
Surrender Dorothy, DeVargas Mall. 984-8555.
Día de los Muertos Fun
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Soak in this wonderfully eclectic holiday that honors those who have passed into the great unknown by decorating alters with painted sugar skulls ($8 and up), paper marigolds (29 cents) and hand-painted skeleton figurines ($5.95 and up). Set your alter on a yard or two of Mexican oil cloth ($6.95 per yard) for full effect and start slinging the tequila and munching on sandwiches made with
pan de muerto
. Día de los Muertos is Nov. 1 (All Saint's Day) and Nov. 2 (All Souls Day), so get going with these basics from Guadalupano Imports where you can also find paper picado ($6) and art depicting prayers from wrestlers and someone fighting off rabies ($45).
Guadalupano Imports, 111 E. Water St., 984-8177.
I Always Wanted to Be a…
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Dress up the tykes with the things you want them to be when they grow up with rain gear get-ups ($29) that steer them toward such lines of work as a fireman, ballerina, ladybug, even a dinosaur. Accessories include the backpack ($20.95) and umbrella ($11.95). Don't forget the matching rubber boots ($20.95); otherwise, they'll end up in therapy after they realize they are not the successful ladybug you wanted them to be.
Merry Go Round, 150 Washington Ave., 988-5422.
L.A.M.B., Leggings and Dickies
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More hot looks for fall include plaids, tweeds and leggings. Pair this with a giant bag like Isabella Fiore's black leather monstrosity and, as Sheena Easton would say, "You've Got the Look." Get your hands on the plaid sweetheart jacket by L.A.M.B. ($485) and Robert Rodriguez cashmere leggings ($220-and wear these with flats or you'll come off looking like Pat Benatar a la "Love is a Battlefield." Underneath it all is a strange little dickie-cowlneck-hoodie-thing with long sleeves ($137), but it's cashmere, so it's OK to assume that the dickie is back. Long and tangled necklaces by Love Heals ($277 and up) top off the season's hottest fashions.
Bodhi Bazaar, Sanbusco Center, 982-3880.
Are You Ready for Some Flag Football?
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Hit the turf for some good old-fashioned flag football with gear from Big 5 Sporting Goods ($19.99). Complete with flags and belts for 12 players, goal line cones and handy rule book. You supply the pigskin and Sharpie for irksome end-zone antics.
Big 5 Sporting Goods, 2860 Cerrillos Road, 474-4260.
Meet My Swedish Toyfriend
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Consider Au Boudoir the boutique that offers the latest in erotic design. And hot off the runway is this fall's love offering, Lelo ($89-$135), a rechargeable vibe that combines high design with Swedish engineering for orgasmic results. This palm-sized powerhouse packs in an astonishing 27 different speeds and its surgical-grade elastomer coating is oh, so soft. It's got a super quiet motor and that rechargeable battery we mentioned, lasts (omigod!) 7 hours.
Au Boudoir, 614 Agua Fria St., 983-7700.
Oh My Goth-The
Fall Beauty Quick Guide
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It's getting darker earlier, and we don't just mean daylight-saving time. Elvira's making a comeback. For manicures, go goth with Chanel's Black Satin ($19), which can be seen on celebrities and punks alike. Long, fringy bangs are all the rage when it comes to hair trends, and speaking of hair, eyebrows go pro-bush, and the bikini begs for get an upside-down triangle…no more bacon strips or bald-eagles! No need to slather yourself in garlic-ward off evil with Narcisco Rodriguez'
eau de parfum
, Heart of Musk ($95). Red, vampy lips and a street-tough smoky eye with smudgy eyeliner is so hot right now. Use the shiny-not-sticky Nars Lip Lacquer in Diablo ($20.50) for lips and Bobbi Brown's Black Ink eyeliner ($20.50) paired with her Sexy Glamour Palette for look-of-the-moment eyes ($46). And please, under no circumstances let anyone talk you into grillz.
The Cos Bar, 131 W. Water St., 984-2676.
