I bought tickets for the Garb tour as a birthday present for my 16 yr. old daughter so she could do some school clothes shopping (she prefers thrift stores over department stores so the boutique/vintage aspect was right up her ally). My sister and her 7 yr. old daughter came with us. Our fashionista guide, Travis, was in the store when we arrived and gave us our cute Garb totes. We had the misfortune of booking our tour on what was about the hottest weekend in downtown SD in probably the 20 years I've lived here. In fact, half our tour group dropped out before we even left Be Beauty, but we were game and had a great time. It was fun discovering unique boutiques and exploring Little Italy and downtown on foot. We even discovered some great furniture and antiques stores in Little Italy I would have never known existed if we didn't walk past them. Travis was awesome, very fun and personable! He had a great background in fashion and design, which really enhanced our experience with him, and gave good feedback. He was also totally flexible and really tailored the tour to what we wanted to do. We made a few pit stops for cold drinks (did I mention it was 100 degrees?), cruised through a really cool furniture store on India St., we spent a lot of time in a couple of the stores and he never rushed us. The shop owners and clerks were very welcoming and gave us an introduction and little history or background on the shop, they all had cool drinks and some had little snacks for us (key word is 'little' - this is not a food tour so don't expect to really get fed). The 25% discount at each shop was great; I think we made purchases in nearly every shop. Our favorites were: Kapreeza - the owner of this hidden gem stocks her shop with unique bras, panties, and swim wear from Europe and also hand makes a lot of her stock. She has truly beautiful merchandise and stocks large and hard to fit sizes in bras and swim suits. She gave my daughter (who is a hard to fit 32DD) a custom bra fitting and found her a couple of great quality bras that were very reasonably priced - even better with the discount (on par with Victoria's Secret pricing). Plus, the owner will honor the 25% off for the entire following week if you go back! Vocabulary - fun fashions, unique jewelry and accessories. My sister found a beautiful pleated navy dress here in the price range of what you'd pay at Macy's. De Marcus - this was our favorite I think. Interesting and funky selections, the owner also custom makes evening gowns. The clerk, Randall, told us they were going to start a rental program for the evening gowns. Thinking that's where we'll go for prom next year! I loved the bamboo sheets in Cariloha but will have to save up for those! At the end, we decided to skip Café 21 and opted to go to Chocolat on Fifth for dinner and gelato (we'd promised my niece). All told, between my daughter and me we ended up with some nice pieces - a bohemian skirt, a cute sundress, pair of fun orchid color jeans, 2 tops, 2 high quality bras - in the neighborhood of $350. All the shops honor the discount through the day if you are undecided and want to go back after the tour. The whole experience, the reasonable price ranges, and the 25% discounts were great! I'd do it again with girlfriends, sisters, my daughter. Tips: Wear very comfortable shoes and clothes - there is a lot of walking (we all wore flip flops and shorts or casual skirts/sundresses. I parked in an all day lot on Kettner and Date for $10, which was a good decision. Bonus - the Little Italy Farmer's Market is on Sat. and we cruised up Date Street tasting samples and stopped for Indian veggie samosas and an iced coffee on the way to the meet-up shop. At the end of the day, after we ate dinner in the Gaslamp, we debated catching a pedi-cab back, but felt rested up and it had cooled down quite a bit, so we decided to walk off the gelato and hoofed it back to the car. *While Garb does not recommend young children on the tour I will say my 7 yr. old niece was a total trouper and did great on the whole tour. She loved the "big girl" time and hanging out in the dressing rooms advising us. The little snacks at the shops also helped! **Bonus tip: we actually did their companion Bite Food Tour as a family with three teens a year or so ago and we loved that. We ate our way through the Gaslamp and learned quite a bit of interesting downtown history (discovered Krust Pizza!). Recommend the Gaslamp tour. read more

Garb San Diego - cool jeans - Be Beauty Boutique - Tours Near Me - San Diego, California

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I admit, I am a relunctant shopper for two main reasons: 1. I love shopping online, the convenience, the selection, the prices! (Amazon!!!!!!) 2. I am 7 months pregnant and look like I swallowed a beach ball. Not in the mood to try on cute dresses. Plus, I wasn't sure about shopping with a bunch of women as I went on this tour by myself. I fear that I am developing a type of social retardation given how much of my life I spend in front of the computer. But I did it because I have been on the Bite Tours, a sister company that does food tours in San Diego, and I really enjoyed it so given this invitation I decided to give it a try. What was the net result? Would do it again in a heart beat (as long as we went to new shops). Here's what I loved: --------------------------------- 1. The retailer shops are unique and I would have never gone to these on my own given that I live in La Jolla and work in Mission Valley. I just don't hang out in these areas. I feel like I know San Diego a bit better know after this tour. 2. The special One Day Only discounts just for our group. I was browsing around liked a lot of stuff but when the owner reminded us that they were giving us a special one day only 25% discount, that made me grab the items and check out. 3. SURPRISED at that the reasonable prices (BE BEAUTY) and LOVED the variation in merchandise at some of these boutiques. I'm a retailer myself so I can really appreciate the work that these retailers put into their stores. Bravo San Diego Boutiques!!!! Although I was in no mood to buy clothes for me, there were CUTE kids / baby clothes and home accessories that got me to buy. There was something for EVERYONE on this tour. 4. The stylist, Benjamin, guides you all through the tour and helps you with styling personal styling tips. Not only does he have great charisma but he really worked with all the ladies well in giving them feedback on what works well for them without being pushy or obnoxious. I would consider working with him independently for sure. What you need to know: ----------------------------------- 1. There is A LOT of walking. Whether you are pregnant or not, I recommend you bring comfy shoes or your cute shoes AND a pair of comfy Flip Flops. 2. This is pretty much an all day thing so don't plan too much after. The last spot for ends at a Cafe / Restaurant where you can rest your feet. 3. This is something fun to do with girfriends if you have the day open. Even though I went alone I met fun women. In fact, did a little bit of business talk with one and we exchanged cards. Wasn't expecting that, but it was nice that it wasn't in a business setting. 4. If you are prego or you get hungry quickly, might want to bring some snacks. Most of the retail shops provide some kind of nibbles and wine / champagne. But it wasn't enough for me and my belly. Overall, loved the VIP treatment that we got from every retailer. I WISH WISH WISH all retailers would treat customers this way. I would shift my buying from online back to physical retail stores if this was the case. They were all so hospitable as if we were guests in their own home. Very cool way to shop. Thanks Garb! read more

I did the Garb tour on a sunny Saturday and had an awesome time! I live here in San Diego, and even though I come to Little Italy and Downtown a lot, I've never noticed some of the unique boutiques on the tour. I loved how they included a variety of places, from vintage to high fashion to accessories. The best part about doing a Garb tour though is the guides. Our guide Benjamin was awesome. He can help you pick out clothes for your body type, tell you what trends are happening now and shop for those trends. It was a neat way to shop, with an expert on your side! There was a lot of walking, but it was nice to get to know the other women on the tour during the walks. I recommend Garb to anyone who loves fashion and discovering new awesome places they will definitely want to come back to. read more

I did the Garb tour last Saturday. The day was cold and rain was imminent, and no one cared because we all had a blast! I ended up with a beautiful dress that I'm so excited to wear out, and I'd have never selected it on my own. The stylist, Benjamin, is delightful, knowledgeable and an instant BFF. He guided me into and out of some purchases, and his tips were spot on and very appreciated. I loved that we had a generous discount at all the shops on the tour, and I also loved that each store's price points were quite reasonable and not in designer price stratosphere. At almost every shop we were welcomed with treats: tea or wine, little snackables. The owners greeted us and gave us a little intro to their store. My favorite stops were Be Beauty and Vocabularie. I'd never have stumbled on to these shops on my own, and I'll definitely be going back. Two tips: Try to park midway between the starting and ending points of the tour. Wear comfy shoes because you WILL be walking. Also loved: The complimentary Garb bag. The company! I was on my own and am normally a bit shy in groups but by the end of the tour everyone was talking and laughing. Seeing a fashionable side to beautiful San Diego. Ending up at the Cafe for a post tour drink & recap. Great way to end the day. read more

OMG! My girlfriends and I just went on our first GARB shopping tour of San Diego, and it was an absolute blast! It's a three hour walking tour around downtown/Little Italy where you: meet boutique owners and buyers, a tourguide stylist works with you, get special discounts, enjoy munchies and drinks! I'm not even much of a shopper, but this is the perfect way to spend an afternoon with friends! So freakin fun! It is a lot of walking, so wear comfotable shoes! Also, the tour route starts in one area and ends in another - We parked on fir street by the first stop and afterwards took a taxi back to our car. We could have walked, but did I mention not to wear heels? ; ) Our official stylist and guide was Benjamin - and I just can't say enough good things about him. He is in his twenties, but has the manners of an old fashioned southern man. Seriously sweet, professional, fun and informative. He seemed to really bond with everyone, and everyone got his one on one attention. He told us about the stores and designers, explaining color, texture, fabric, cut, etc. He is very passionate about what he does... and he will honestly give you feedback and help you make good style decisions. And he's just so darn cute! So, you show up and sign in and they give you a Garb bag and map with route/store info, both of which came in very handy. There were about 12 girls on our tour... Here are the places we got to go to: Be Beauty Boutique - This is a cool concept! Built in an old home, this is a cozy stylish store with services like massage, mani pedis, etc. They even have a back rustic room (we were served fresh strawberries, some fruity chilled adult beverage, and epicuren samples... Score!) that they use for special events as they are very community oriented. The owner was so sweet, and I will use their blog for fashion/beauty advice. This store had some really great hats, accessories, and the clothes were really my style. Two dresses and a top that I LOVE were reasonably priced to begin with, but we got an additional 25% off! Yippee! Vocabulary - Just a few blocks down the street - they also have a mix of accessories, jewelry and clothes, but they carry menswear as well. This is a very open and roomy store with couches. They served something here to drink, but I didn't have any... champagne I think. They had some really chunky jewelry as well as many finer pieces - one that my gf loved, a coral and gold grecian chain necklace. This shop had one of my favorite pieces - a retro print silk tank top for $60 (that includes the 20% discount). LOVE it! Boutique De Marcus - Quite a walk away - store and salon owned by Baghdad immigrants. Nick(?) the manager introduced us to their colorful and ecclectic red carpet dresses to every day casual clothes for men and women. A lot of custom designs handmade there on the spot and they rework other lines or vintage pieces. A wide range of selection and pricing. I bought a mauve cape-like shirt and colorblock shirt, with 25% discount, the total was around $60. They had yummy dip/crackers and white wine for us. Goga by Gordana - This is the girl from Project Runway and I have been to before. They have some really funky stuff and many that I liked (some not in my size, unfortunately) most of which she designs and makes with her husband (who was there and very helpful!) and team. Some other lines are from LA - this one piece that I had to have was a jumper-type dress. I think a lot of the girls bought things here. Cariloha - An all Bamboo store with bedding and clothes (that mostly look like yoga wear styles). Very soft. And nice nuetral colors. Very clean and open store and supposedly very green. The clerk was very nice, but I didn't hear very much about the store or products. They sent us off with bamboo necklaces! Rubber Soul Vintage - I love vintage pieces, so this was a great addition to the tour! They had great shoes, hats, jewelry, trinkets, and clothing for men and women. And of course they get in 'new' items all the time, so you never know what you find. By this point, we all were getting to know each other's taste... Ben helped with this vintage black dress I ended up buying! ($25 with 25% off). The gentleman at the counter was nice and helpful... The tour ended across the street at Cafe 21 - owned by Azerbaijani immigrants. I have eaten here before, they have tremendous selection of teas (and inventive tea brewing cups) and sangrias. Over cookie treats we talked about our triumphant purchases. A few even stayed late for a sangria taster, feta fries and spinach crepe... Yum, perfect after a long day of shopping! All in all, this was a unique and fun way to get together with my friends, learn about fashion, do some expert guided shopping with otherwise unoffered discounts, and get in an afternoon walk to work off all of the treats and drinks! Thanks to all the shops and to Benjamin! Highly recommended! read more

I desperately needed girl time and my friend invited me on GARB Shopping Tour. What a wonderful way to spend time with your girlfriends and come across great finds at the store line up Garb Tour has hand selected. Not only that, each boutique offered discounts exclusively to ladies on Garb Tour - ranging from 15%-35%. I lucked out with a few pieces from couple of the boutiques and received a 25% discount. In addition to this wonderful experience, I got to visit boutiques that I never would've have found on my own,, so thank you Garb!!!! Tips: * Plan parking accordingly. Recommendation: park between gaslamp and Little Italy, since Garb tour ends in one of the lovely Cafes in Downtown. * Wear COMFY shoes, you will be walking a lot and it's a wonderful way to discover San Diego on foot. * Bring one or two of your girlfriends for an enhanced shopping/girl time experience - you will have a blast! read more

My girlfriend was visiting from out of town, so I thought this was the perfect Saturday to-do that was "out of the norm" of our typical weekend conversation, beginning with, "so what should we do today?" I'm so glad we did, because albeit a gloomy day, our stroll through Downtown and Little Italy was so much fun (and we went home with full shopping bags). I have worked downtown for three year and was expecting to be familiar with ALL the stores on the garb tour. Much to my surprise, I had only (even hear of) two out of the seven. I couldn't believe all these hidden gems right in my own work-neighborhood. I loved the first stop, be beauty, with the "secret garden" they invited us into and the special treats they provided to kick off our day. It was so neat having a manager or owner of each place give us the "inside scoop" on the shops -- something you don't get on your average visit. The guide was fabulous and gave us some really great tips on fashion. :) Also, getting a discount at every store was a MAJOR plus. We were much more compelled to purchase items, knowing that we would get a VIP Grab discount. So cool! We had so much fun with everyone on the tour and loved that our last stop at Cafe 21 gave us a chance to sit, snack and refuel after a very successful day of shopping! read more

Beck creates a positive experience giving us ladies a new way to discover our city. Garb is a great concept...new places and new people...

I booked this shopping tour for my girlfriend's birthday. The manager of the company was very nice and helped me with parking tips. My girlfrind had a great time with 4 of her friends. She loved the one-on-one interaction from the tour guide who was a professional stylist. All the girls bought items, and being on the tour got some nice discounts, as well as a "Garb" bag that apparently was a hit. Also, the girls reported that some of the stores had extras, like wine, fruit or chocolate etc. Girlfriends + fancy food + shopping deals + stylist= great girl experience. The best part is that I didn't have to go. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this. read more

I found a pair of $10 shoes - Fashionistas eat your heart out!!! I'm not guaranteeing that you will find the very same deal, but I also found a $22 dress, the cutest skirt for a great price and a hot little dress I can wear to work or out for cocktails for a total of $120. You visit 8 locally-owned shops (the last one is Cafe 21 - where you get to sample some treats.) At each stop, the owner/manager speaks to the group and provides some background and helpful information before you get to roam free, they also offer cute little samples. We had our own personal stylist and I learned all the secrets about how to look thinner! What girl doesn't love that?!?! I really loved the tour, enjoyed meeting other gals, having laughs with the store owners, and getting amazing deals on all the great finds. Visited April 2012 read more

Go Garb! What a fun way to spend the day with a bunch of gal pals. This is great concept, created by Bite San Diego, which apparently is a pretty popular food tour. Garb is a SHOPPING tour. I got this tour for my sister and mom, and they loved the discounts at EVERY store, as well as the goodies. The stylist tour guide was a nice touch-a stylist for three hours? Apparently, this is a very cool thing! Great job, Garb! read more

I found GARB through the Living Social site and what a hidden gem! I treated my friend to a nice shopping/food tour of Little Italy and Downtown during the Comicon event...great people watching! We both love to eat and shop, but fear expanding our horizons when it comes to fashion. We're kind of Target/Old Navy shoppers, and Macy's on a daring day, so venturing out to local boutiques was a foreign experience. We both grew up in San Diego and it was nice to explore your own city in a different way. To start off, our guide, Travis, was such a delight. He was not afraid of sharing what looked good and didn't look good on you. It was neat to try on stuff that I normally would not have tried, and I actually spent more on a dress than I ever have...thank goodness for the 25% GARB discount! The only unexpected thing was the food...or lack there of. The individual shops provided snacks that any college student living in a dorm could put together...triscuits and hummus, wafers, strawberries, chocolate-covered almonds, wine, tea, and water. I guess I was expecting some gourmet bites. If you're expecting delicious eats, go on the Bite San Diego food tour. If you're expecting more fashion and some snacks and a great time....and lots of walking (about 3-4 miles), then this is the tour for you. One last thing, the tour mentions a treat at the end at Cafe 21. I was expecting lunch (provided by GARB), but when we got there the staff at Cafe 21 seemed to think they no longer provided treats to the tour group. Travis spoke to the staff and somehow worked it out so we were able to get a few appetizers brought out....eggplant fries and homemade potato chips. Although it was a little awkward, it all worked out. read more

This tour was so much fun! I ended up finding some really unique, great pieces (necklaces, a dress and clutch) for a great deal (especially with the help of the 25% discount). I normally love boutique clothing, but don't always want to pay the high prices. The shops we stopped in had a range of accessories and clothing that made it affordable for all. The tour does have a lot of walking and it does take several hours, so dress comfortably and don't book anything too soon after the end of the tour. The last stop is Cafe 21 and it was nice to not be in a rush and get to enjoy the goodies they served. I would definitely recommend finding a girlfriend and going on this tour! read more

The Garb Tour was so much fun! Our stylist/guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, and took us to some great local boutiques that I would not have known about otherwise- even after residing downtown for 5 years. Also, the tour was a great value because we received at least a 25% discount at each store plus other freebies. At the beginning of the tour each participant received a "Garb" bag which is reusable and perfect for the beach! I loved the tour and would highly recommend as a mother's day gift, bridal party activity or just a fun day with girlfriends! read more