Shopping Spree

Fashion > Forward

by Monica Weymouth

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Of all the trends we've welcomed back with open arms, we didn't see the windbreaker being one of them. The neon, the geometric patterns, the matching pants — oh, for shame. But in the crafty hands of Ivy Glass, the garment has found an unexpected second life as a skirt. (Seriously, stay with us here.) The local designer's new collection of Ecouture Breaker Skirts (pictured) are made from thrift store finds, combining her passion for both vintage and earth-friendly pieces. "I've always been interested in reappropriating old things," she says. "For me, it's nostalgic." Although reimagined, the pieces still have a distinctly windbreaker feel, with visible snaps, zippers, pockets and drawstrings. You can pick one up at Glass' trunk show at Ruth Danemon Salon this weekend or on her Web site in the near future. Feel strongly that windbreakers shouldn't have left mid-'90s gym class? Glass' upcoming winter and fall accessory collection is very cute and very nylon-free.

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"I feel like there's a void in Old City," says Faye Smith. "You can go to four places for outfits for your dog, but none for your baby." True, it's one of the neighborhood's more endearing quirks, but that doesn't make it right. A year and a half after moving to Philly from L.A., the fashionable mom has opened Sevilla Smith, a boutique for stylish ladies and their little ones. Designed to feel like a garden, the airy space has warm golden walls and cozy dressing rooms inspired by Moroccan tents. Most of the children's clothing (available up to size 4T) is made of organic materials for sensitive skin, including linen dresses by Empress Arts. And while Smith selected many of the women's pieces to flatter the bodies of new mothers, soft cotton basics by Grace Sun and Larsen Gray do good things for everyone's figure.

Funhouse will be sorely missed, but Orphelin seems to be filling the Bella Vista space quite nicely. Although open for only a week, the vintage boutique (whose name means "orphan" in French) already feels natural and homey with a rack of retro aprons out front. Inside, Tara presides gently and casually over her store as if it were her very stylish living room, which it conveniently looks like. (She doesn't use her last name, but not in a pretentious, Madonna way — she simply doesn't like it.) Everything from games to waffle irons to summer dresses line the walls, including consigned pieces by Plaid Pony Vintage. Better yet, everything you see is for sale: the wardrobe and the linens it's filled with, the dressing room mirror and the throwback cigarette machine. You can still find Tara working at Gleaner's, so hours are limited to Wed.-Sun., noon-7 p.m. for the summer.