08/14/03

Vintage for the timid--let yourself be lured.

by Contributor

The Scene
Owner Alison Houtte loves to decorate Park Slope's corner of 7th Avenue and Berkeley Place, just steps from her nearby shop. And she does so often, using a jumble of barnyard bric-a-brac, a dress form in a party frock and sidewalk-chalk arrows that point the way to her store. A charming tactic, it draws weekend women of the neighborhood in droves.

The Goods
Loud with a laugh and a compliment, Alison keeps her shop hopping with chit-chat and friendly flattery. She handwrites the coaxing pricetags ("You Need This For Saturday Night!") on her fabulous swing coats with fur collars, sequins-trim cardigans, flower-print minis and chunky pearl chokers. She stocks fashions that are girlie and funky all in one look--and she'll convince you that look is yours. Very high in style and quality, but with prices that know how to sweet-talk your wallet.