I'm so confident in my masculinity that I'm reviewing a frou-frou ladies clothing store. Wait, I…read morecan top that. I'm so confident in my masculinity that I've visited a frou-frou ladies clothing store on multiple occasions and bought scarves, blouses, and purses for my mother. I know next to nothing about clothing, but I know what my mom likes: bright, flowy, intricate, Southern California-inspired apparel brimming with personality. That's why I skip the impersonal department stores and head straight to Johnny Was.
Over the past several years, I've bought two pairs of shoes, a purse, a makeup bag, two jackets, two kimonos, ten blouses, and three scarves. Yes, I counted. Prices range from $75 (a makeup bag) to $1,800 (an elaborate, embroidered blouse), but the cost reflects the quality; the artisanship and attention to detail are second to none.
The sales associates are friendly and personable, never pushy. I know my mom's style fairly well, but the employees have steered me towards items I hadn't even considered, including several gorgeous scarves to complement the blouses. The staff could take advantage of my diffidence with all things apparel (in a clothing store, I look like a mute foreigner stumbling around with an open wallet), but they never try to upsell me.
My only quibble is with the store's name. Johnny Was? Johnny was what? Apparently, the store's founder took the name from an obscure Bob Marley song. How random. I should open a clothing store named after a Captain Beefheart song. I can hear the ladies now:
"Ooooh, what a gorgeous tunic, Liz! Where did you get it?"
"It was 30% off at Making Love to a Vampire with a Monkey on My Knee."