Shopping the Hamptons, Part Six

He needed the perfect gift – it would be their first Valentine’s Day together. Nervous and jittery do not begin to tell the whole story.

She was shopping relentlessly – wandering from store to store, seeking what seemed to be invisible.

It was as though there was no hope of success in sight, nothing felt right to either of them. It was time to re-imagine what a ‘gift’ represented. Was it a thing, or was it maybe the emotion of shared feeling? Something that lasts beyond the shiny glitter of something new.

We might change the ‘what’ of your story to almost any other ‘very special’ upcoming moment in time. A birthday, an anniversary, a holiday that has been your favorite forever ’day.’ Staying in touch with our emotions, as we consider shopping, it becomes evident that we are in search of much more than a thing.

It’s all about the smile you give, the memory you create. Making a change to someone’s beliefs is pure and simple – ‘a magic moment.’ It is about much more than a gift you can hold in your hands. We can call it the gift of being together – so, in essence, we are shopping for time!

Plan that trip together, gift it to each other, or make it a surprise. Any choice will most certainly begin a magic journey. It’s the gift of time you share with another; let us know if we might help with planning your journey in time.

This is her story of shopping for time as I told it a few months back. I will let you know about his version of the same adventure when we share our next shopping adventure.

It’s About More Than Shopping . . .

Tracy Anderson
30 Park Place, East Hampton NY 631-604-6529

Shopping for the elusive body of a dancer… a revolutionary method that can give anyone a ‘Tracy Anderson Body.’ A body built of long lean muscles complemented by true body happiness! Is it attainable for everyone? Tracy knows this can be your truth because she’s done it to herself and thousands of others. The proof lies in the genesis of ‘Tracy’s Method.’

How did she do it? Simple – ease the strain on the large muscle groups. It’s accomplished by strengthening the small, accessory muscles. Not so easy though – it required years of research, self-testing, and refinement. In short, Tracy figured out how to harness and deliver the elusive body of a dancer.

The beauty of the Tracy Anderson Method, though, is that people everywhere can get access to the same training, and the same perpetually evolving regimens, as the red carpet’s biggest stars – either in one of the Tracy Anderson studios or on-demand in their own living room.

The beginning of Tracy’s celebrity clientele began in 2006 when she began working with Gwyneth Paltrow. Soon after, a partnership developed. With the studios located in exclusive locations, an A-List clientele soon followed to spread the word of Tracy’s miracle. Names we know well in the Hamptons: Jennifer Lopez, Alessandra Ambrosio, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Richie, Robert Downey Jr, Olivia Palermo, Hilary Rhoda, Olivia Wilde and so many more!

Over the past two decades, the Tracy Anderson Method has grown and evolved, though the basic premise remains the same. Tracy continues to develop thousands of new routines to ensure that no client ever plateaus.

Top Drawer Lingerie
32 Park Place, East Hampton NY 631-329-2863

TDL is an independently owned Lingerie store that has resided in East Hampton Village since 1991. It is located behind Main Street in the Park Place shopping area, catering to all ages, all genders, and all price points. Sizes range from 32A to 44H and XS to XL. They carry bras and underwear for both men and women as well as sleepwear and slips. Robes, slippers, socks, and pantyhose are also found on their shelves. Gift items, soaps, bags, and jewelry are also available.

Top Drawer Lingerie will help you with expert personal fittings. It’s been said that once you relax in a pair of TDL silk boxers and custom socks they will quickly become the mainstay of your wardrobe. Your visit with TDL is important to everyone on their team – they promise to deliver a professional, patient and friendly experience every time you visit. Along with the perfect fit! Gift wrapping and shipping in the USA are always complimentary. Year-round.

Gubbins
54 Park Place, East Hampton, NY 11937  631-324-3239

Most small towns across America had one, you stopped there after school if there was no football practice. They made your uniforms and hats with custom logos and your team’s colors. There was a counter with trophies for every sport, still blank, waiting for your name. It was the place you would hang around to talk about Sunday’s games or to covet an authentic NFL football. You looked at hockey stuff and said it’s time for a new sport this winter, on the ice if you were lucky, otherwise the parking lot would do just fine.

Just add the appropriate beach gear and Gubbins is such a place. No fancy stuff; just a small town sporting goods store with a bit of everything. Perfect for anything sporting that an East End adventure might entail!

Les Toiles Du Soleil
78 Park Place, East Hampton NY 631-907-2872

Beach colors and fabrics, table linens, pillows and a bit of outdoor furniture. Les Toiles Du Soleil has most everything a beautiful ‘Triple White” beachfront house might need to make the design ‘East End Perfect!’

Founded 160 years ago, in a little town in the Catalan part of France called Saint Laurent de Cerdans, the factory producing this traditional fabric (perfect for making Espadrilles) was famous for its quality and durability. In 1990 new owners brought the new name ‘Les Toiles Du Soleil’, which means ‘the cloth of the sun,” and added more cheery colors while maintaining a contemporary and sophisticated look.

Although the fabric was renowned in Europe, Australia, and Japan, it wasn’t very well known in the US. Les Toiles Du Soleil is relatively new to NYC and the Hamptons. Their first retail outlet opened in NYC in 2008 and the East Hampton store opened in the summer of 2013.

The Les Toiles Du Soleil boutique sells these and other fabrics by the yard. Most are 100% woven cotton with generous 72-inch widths and made on old-world traditional looms. The boutique also carries Sunbrella fabrics, perfectly suited for the outdoors because they are sun-stain-and water-resistant.

In addition to fabric, Les Toiles du Soleil also sells a variety of accessories – throw pillows, tote bags, aprons and much more – all made in the store. Clients can customize anything from upholstery to accessories, even curtains for shower or window treatments.

It feels like it’s time to buy a new home in the Hamptons or at the very least redecorate your current beachfront shabby shack!

Elie Tahari
1 Main Street, East Hampton NY 11937 631-329-8883

One Main Street is about as visible as it gets in East Hampton Village and that is the location of the Hamptons Elie Tahari Boutique. Also not so shabby is the address of Mr. Tahari’s Hamptons Residence located in Sagaponack with its 250 feet of spectacular beachfront. Mr. Tahari has an eye for elegance and sophistication in all things that he touches.

With stores located on five continents, in 40 countries, amassed over 40 years of design excellence, Tahari was named one of Crain’s most successful 40 under 40.

The Tahari brand has expanded over the years to include women’s shoes, sunglasses and accessories, and menswear. In the eighties, Tahari’s new Madison Avenue Storefront focused on the tailored men’s suit that would define the entire decade. This was an era of firsts for Elie Tahari. He opened his first boutique on Madison Avenue, posted the company’s first billboard in New York City, and held his first fashion show at Studio 54.

Television networks featured Tahari’s designs on their most prominent shows. Fashion shows raised millions of dollars for charity. Mr. Tahari was invited to the White House to meet President Clinton.

The company continues to expand in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Istanbul, Turkey, and Dubai, Newport Beach, California, Washington, D.C., Dallas and 5th Avenue.  To mark the brand’s 40th anniversary, Tahari created a capsule collection “Elie Tahari 1974” which featured updated silhouettes from the brand’s four decades in fashion.

What that means for you, well I guess you can stroll the lanes and avenues of East Hampton Village and feel the influence of global design. Not bad for a day’s shopping, visiting 40 countries and growing by the day!

London Jewelers
2 Main St, East Hampton, NY 11937  631-329-3939

In 1939 Mayer Udell, the youngest of six children, arrived at Ellis Island just as the sun was rising over the Statue of Liberty. 57 years later and about 100 miles east, his company known as London Jewelers purchased the old VFW building on Main Street in East Hampton Village. This high-end shop features an unparalleled selection of the world’s finest jewelry and it instantaneously begat the tradition of shopping for fine jewels whenever beach conditions were unsuitable. Or whenever you felt the need!

From Jaeger-LeCoultre to Rolex to David Yurman, offering new creations as well as select vintage offerings, this is a store to create and continue family traditions of giving only the finest timepieces. Watches, jewelry, and gifts are featured twice yearly in a beautifully published Magazine ‘London Jewelers.’  

And London Jeweler’s walk-in humidor is the perfect place to pick up a box of Davidoff – Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ – after all, one needs to bring something to smoke after dinner with the ‘Ararat 70’ Armenian brandy!

So join me in the Rose Garden with a cigar and a snifter, and we will reminisce about our shopping conquests in the streets and lanes of East Hampton Village.

Until then,

Gary