Yesterday while driving through Orlando’s Milk District I did something that I’ve been meaning to do for ages– I stopped into Etoile Boutique. I pass it nearly daily and always have the intention of stopping in, but either I have Lily in the car or I can’t be asked to figure out where to park.
I love a good vintage find and am so glad I finally made it in. If I had to categorize it, though I hate to compare it to something so corporate, I’d say the vibe is somewhere along the lines of Urban Outfitters meets vintage. The store is filled with cute vintage finds in great condition (clothing, shoes, and accessories) for both men & women, items for the home like candles and soaps, and various handmade items– and the prices are super reasonable. They’ve also somehow managed to avoid that mothball/dust/dirt/smoke/someone-might-have-died-in-here smell that many vintage shops host.
I quickly struck up a convo with one of the owners, Grisel, a tiny Puerto Rican transplant with mutlicolored hair and ironically cute vintage glasses. I felt like we’d been friends for ages as we chatted about vintage clothing, the transformation of the “typical American body” over the decades, and their upcoming “trashion” show. One thing I love love love about Etoile and wanted to share is that they do alterations! Petite little Grisel has been a seamstress for ages (hard to believe as she seems so young herself) and can alter anything in store to fit you exactly as you please. To me this is brilliant as I love vintage fashions, but they don’t always fit exactly as I’d like. You can bring in your own clothes to be altered as well! I’m fortunate to have always had my mom on hand to create anything I can draw/imagine as she’s an awesome seamstress, but it’s so nice to know that I’ve now got the option of Gisele who is a mile down the road incase I’m in a pinch! If you’ve never stopped in or it’s been a while since you have definitely head over, take a look around and introduce yourself. Grisel is awesome and if you’re looking for something specific I’m more than certain that she’ll keep an eye out for that perfect piece!
I won’t be able to thank you fully for the articles on your web-site. I know you’d put a lot of time and energy into all of them and hope you know how much I appreciate it. I hope I could do the same for someone else sometime.