Lately, I’ve seen a lot of black and yellow Forever 21 shopping bags around Eugene-peeking out of people’s purses, recycled as containers for wet swimsuits, or mixed in with charred sparklers and fireworks in the trash. It concerns me a little. As this quirky town we call home gets bigger and bigger, we’ve seen more national chain stores move in to profit off of us. But
one thing that makes Eugene the place many of us love so much is the plethora of funky, independent, locally-owned businesses around town. And, personally, I think they deserve a lot more support than any new chain-store across the river at the mall.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t completely hate Valley River Center. It offers many Eugeneans summer jobs, and I would imagine it can be a good air-conditioned spot to cool off in the
summer, but I advocate keeping your money out of Hot Topic, Hollister Co. or Forever 21 this summer. Whoever you are or whatever you’re looking to spend some summer cash on this July, there’s a locally owned Eugene business that deserves your support and can send you out into the summer sun with some unique digs. Here are a few of my own suggestions and favorites.
If you can’t help but be excited by Forever 21’s new Eugene location, head instead to West Moon Trading Company, a unique boutique on 13th. This colorful store has everything from summer dresses to crazy underwear and trendy jewelry.
Their prices often can’t be beaten. I bought my favorite pair of
jeans there for a mere $30, which left me enough money to stock up on colorful plastic bangles from their accessories
counter. And, don’t miss their fun basket of buttons and bumper stickers, such as “What Would Buddha Do?” at the check-out counter.
If you own more pairs of shoes than pairs of underwear, Shoe-A-Holic (located at 957 Willamette St.) is your place. This independent store, whose sister store, Lazar’s Bazar, has been around for over thirty years, is Eugene’s best spot to find anything from a basic flip-flop to your favorite sneakers or pair of dress shoes. And, if you love the nineties like I do, Shoe-AHolic has an extensive collection of Dr. Martens boots.
As you head for the door with those nice new Chuck Taylor
All-Stars high tops or Vans in hand, stop at the shoelace
rack, boasting a rainbow of colored laces, so you can personalize your footwear.
If you like something old with your something new, visit Deluxe, a fashion-forward, creative vintage clothing store at 1331 Willamette St. Many of their hip shirts, jackets or bags are refashioned from old or used items of clothing.
Cool screen prints, appliqués, or interesting tailoring make
each of their items something innovative and special. They
also sell jewelry hand-made by several local artists, which
can’t be missed. And if you’re a creative type yourself, you
may get some great ideas for do-it-yourself styles here.
If you already hate “The Man” and have never set foot in any mall to begin with, you’ll probably love Android. A relatively new business right next to the McDonald Theatre on Willamette Street, this vintage store sells all kinds of old T-shirts, pants, shoes and accessories. I found a great, like-new, AAA Travel Agency bag from the seventies there for only 10 bucks. And for the ever-popular anarchist look, this shop will get you fashionably armed and ready to hit the streets in a nice bullet belt or recycled camo army cap and dog tag.
Lastly, if clothing just really isn’t your thing at all, you can always support Eugene’s diverse community by making a cameo at the Willamettans nudist beach on the McKenzie
River near Springfield.
While your fellow Eugeneans are out shopping at various independent Eugene businesses, you can relax, far from the mall, in some of that great Oregon summer sun that we wait all year for. After all, the best things in life are free, right?