After what feels like SO long, clothing stores have started to open up their doors again to the public. I’m guilty of ordering online – I’ll admit that there was definitely a spike in my online ordering when local boutiques had to close. I did make a point of ordering from local stores if the option was available – I appreciate that so many businesses hustled to get items online and/or coordinated curbside pickups.
I love shopping local – who doesn’t enjoy having a cute boutique in their neighborhood? It’s also so nice to actually try items on and not have to order a range of sizes or hope that something will fit right. Plus, local shops often feature and support other local businesses, so you are supporting numerous people in your community which is a win-win! For every $100 spent at a local business, $68 of those dollars stay in the local economy. The go-to boutiques that I frequent, including the two stores that I’ll feature in this post, are owned and operated by local ladies and I always enjoy supporting these gals and their businesses.
Dylan Star and Sirena are both located downtown Santa Barbara. To be even more specific, Sirena is located in the Funk Zone area of S.B. I recently placed an online order from Dylan Star and found these cute snakeskin-print joggers. The pants are so comfortable and I’m switching up my leopard-focused-animal-print style for a change to snakeskin. I like that I can dress the joggers up and wear them for a night out (whenever that will happen again?) or pair the joggers with a t-shirt like above for a more relaxed look. I also found these gold-and-crystal-hoop earrings that are gorgeous – I’m a sucker for hoops and crystal jewelry in general, so this was an easy buy for me. In the past, I’ve purchased several hats, shirts, shorts, and, of course, jewelry from Dylan Star as well.
When we were living downtown, I could walk to Sirena, so it’s safe to say that I’ve spent a pretty penny there. I’ve purchased everything from jeans to bodysuits to swimsuits and more. On a recent order, I purchased some bralettes, a tank, and a pair of leggings. All of the items were “one size” sizing and I was surprised by how great they fit and how much I loved the soft, thick fabric that they were all constructed with. The leggings and the coral cropped tank (despite its light color) are not see-through either. I’m a big fan of bralettes under sweaters or t-shirts or just paired with joggers like below – hey, we’re all at home a lot now, wear whatever you want. For the tank (which I also just ordered in black too because I’m obsessed), you could keep it with leggings or pair it with basically anything high waisted and it would be adorable. Sirena always carries cute hats, sunglasses, and jewelry too.
As brick-and-mortar stores start opening back up again, I think it’s important now more than ever to support them. Also, I know there may be limited sizes available or items that are sold out, but keep checking as I know that both of these stores get new and sometimes restocked items in frequently. Stay safe and take all the necessary precautions, but hopefully everyone can send a little extra love to their favorite local shops! I plan on justifying lots of future local shopping with this sentiment in mind ;).
