Saturday Night Fever (on a Wednesday)
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• Who he is: Robert Tate
• What he’s wearing: Brown jacket (made in Belgium), butterfly-collar button-down shirt and narrow gold tie, all from Ragtime. “I was at a benefit show [there],” Robert explains. “Someone had put this outfit together and I walked in and said, ‘That’s nice.'”
• Why we love it: Not afraid to rock a little retro, Robert eschews the stuffy, conventional jacket-and-tie look for something infinitely more hip. The patterned shirt, loosely knotted necktie and leather car coat are dressy — but not in a nice-boy-bring-him-home-to-mom kind of way. Someone mix this man a Tequila Sunrise and pop “Stayin’ Alive” in the 8-track.
Try this on
Have a closet full of clothes you can’t stand the sight of (unfortunate gift, cute-but-not-my-color, loved it three dress sizes ago), but not enough spare cash to spring for a new wardrobe? Try consignment stores. These second-hand boutiques buy and sell good-condition clothing, often with high-end labels. Trade your quality cast-offs for credit toward items you really do want to wear. Here are some local offerings:
• Clothes Encounters (340 Merrimon Ave., 251-5651) — Specializes in women’s, bridal and formal wear. Look for designers like Ann Taylor, BCBG, DKNY and Clifford Wells.
• Mine & Yours Consignments (234 New Leicester Hwy., 251-9231) — Specializes in family wear and customer service. Designer labels include Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, Coach, Louis Vuitton and Laura Ashley.
• The Enchanted Forrest (235 Merrimon Ave., 236-0688) — Specializes in women’s wear; the store includes a yarn shop (new, not used). High-end labels include Bebe, Betsey Johnson, Blue Fish and Flax.
• Etc. Consignment Shoppe (1500 Patton Ave., 251-1160) — Specializes in family wear. Look for Coach, Louis Vuitton, Donald Pliner, Kenneth Cole and Perry Ellis.
• Excellent Seconds (959 Merrimon Ave., 251-2332) — Specializes in designer labels as well as mall brands with an emphasis on boutique items and recent styles. High-end names include Eileen Fisher, Ellen Tracy, Gucci and Armani.
