For a Fashionable Christmas
by K. O'Day
Last minute needn’t mean last resort—at least not as far as the person opening the gift is concerned. Last-minute gifts aren’t always afterthoughts; on the contrary, they are often the nearest and dearest who are the hardest to buy for. If you still don’t know what to get for your mother, your brother or your significant other, it may be time to bite the bullet and splurge on something really special. The ever-popular shopping stretch in the Elmwood Village has specialty stores both new and old that can certainly provide the right gift for the right person—provided that you, the buyer, are ready, willing and able. The best advice at this point has got to be just do it.
Lu Modern Classics (881-7283). Located at 504 Elmwood Avenue near Utica, this unisex fashion and home accessory shop just opened in September and is described as “A Modern Approach to Classic Dressing.” From business-casual attire for both men and women to the kind of elegant evening dress by Anjali Kumar pictured here, as long as you are armed with your loved one’s size information and a credit card you really can’t go wrong. There is also a subterranean level for the alternative fashionista/fashionisto, filled with snazzy bags and hot blue jeans suitable for any discerning teenager. Holiday hours at Lu are: Mon-Wed 10am-8pm; Thurs 10am-9pm; Fri 10am-10pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 11am-6pm. Christmas Eve hours will be 9am-5pm.
Anna Grace (332-7069) recently opened as well at 818 Elmwood Avenue, between Lancaster and Lafayette. A boutique catering to women’s fashions, Anna Grace carries unique lines of clothing that can’t be found many other places, and certainly not many places here in Buffalo. Specialty items like Avita’s recycled cashmere cardigans, made of cashmere remnants blended with wool, make a perfect Christmas gift for just about any woman in your life (wife or girlfriend, mother or daughter). Slinky dresses also line the walls for anyone who’s not yet planned her outfit for New Year’s Eve. Anna Grace carries cami sets, jewelry, belts and bath and beauty products as well. Hours from now until Christmas Eve are: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm; Fri 10am-10pm; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-7pm. Christmas Eve hours will run from 10am-5pm.
Buffalo Hemp Outfitters (332-5930), right past Bidwell Parkway at 1005 Elmwood Avenue, is a specialty store featuring very special materials, with a variety of hand-made and environmentally friendly products made from organic hemp. One-of-a-kind clothing items for men, women and children are available, as well as accessories like bags, wallets, slippers, hats, scarves, belts and jewelry. The healthful properties of hemp are marketed too, in the form of powerbars, hemp pasta, salad dressings, salsa or brownie mixes, and hemp-based cosmetics, shampoos, soaps and lotions. The store is locally owned and operated, and many of the items have been hand-made by the owners themselves. Otherwise, all products are sold in accordance with Fair Trade conditions. BHO will be open daily from 11am-8pm the week before Christmas, including Christmas Eve.
In some cases, when you’ve exhausted all other ideas, there’s nothing to do but buy the “bling”—provided you can swing it. Abraham’s Jeweler’s (873-0734) holds court on the corner of Elmwood and Auburn and is fully stocked with fine jewelry like the breathtaking sea green tournaline and diamond ring pictured here. Abraham’s features lines from the likes of Spanish designer Andrea Candela, whose collection of jewelry incorporates sterling silver, 18-karat gold, exotic gemstones and fine quality diamonds. Pearls are especially popular this season, too. Abraham’s is open daily from now until Christmas, 9am-8pm, except on Christmas Eve when the store will close at 5pm.
Happy hunting, and remember: Now is no time to shop for deals.
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