What’s in Store: Mandy’s

July 30th, 2008, 5:02 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Sam Mittelsteadt

Mandy’s
Hilton Village, 6137 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday
Information: (480) 368-4614

When Mandy Krewson opened her eponymous boutique in Scottsdale in 2001, it was filled with the trendy (and often spendy) pieces that a woman in her early 20s would kill to go out in. Fast-forward to the present and Krewson has matured — and, perhaps not coincidentally, so has the merchandise at Mandy’s, now at Hilton Village shopping center.

“I’m not trying to be a cheap store, but I do want to be affordable,” says Krewson. “I look back now and there were too many times when I thought, ‘I didn’t need to spend $300 on that.’ I mean, I wore it once.” So now her bread and butter is the kind of stuff you can throw on for the weekend — repeatedly — or wear in the casual workplace.

But what she gets, she buys in small quantities — maybe four, in different sizes — because she knows that if customers “didn’t buy it the first time, they probably aren’t going to.” Once it sells out, it’s replaced by new merchandise; Krewson estimates they put out “a rolling rack a day,” which helps keep shoppers coming back to see what’s new.

Low price point (left): Brands like Miss Me are known for their less-expensive versions of designer outfits. “It looks chic and couture, but well under $100,” Krewson says. Navy silk and cotton camisole by Miss Me, $60. Caramel linen shorts with navy and white trim by Converse, $102. Double-cross topaz necklace by Sisi Amber, $100.

High price point (right): “If you’re going to spend money, if it’s going to be expensive, it had better be special,” says Krewson, who limits her expensive stock to brands like LaRok. Short strapless silk voile tube dress by LaRok, $348. Rose gold charm necklace by Maya, $94. Gold square necklace by CZ, $76.

Core customer: Young mothers, mostly from Paradise Valley, “who aren’t looking for ‘scene’ kind of stuff,” Krewson says. She recently had a mom come in to buy three pairs of shoes for her 12-year-old daughter, “but ended up buying for herself, too.”

She’s excited about (left): The resurgence of bright hues like yellow, fuchsia, cobalt and purple. “Color is a happy thing,” Krewson says. “Especially here in spring, it’s sunny, we’ve got a bit of a tan. … These colors look great on people here.” Royal blue silk camisole with sequins by Bryce & Bouji, $158. White lightweight twill jeans by Hudson, $158. Fuchsia shrug by Weston Wear, $96. Three-tier silver necklace by CZ, $126. Pink sequin clutch by Steven, $48.

ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 7/30/08

The shirt: Long-sleeved button-up (with cool fastener detail on back) by Byblos (Neiman Marcus, on final call sale)
The pants: Jeans by Paper Denim & Cloth (Last Chance)
The shoes: Sneakers by Diesel (Last Chance)
The scent: The long-discontinued Versus by Gianni Versace, which I got 15+ years ago when I still lived in Colorado — thanks, Sharyn and P.J.!
Listening to: “I Seen Beyonce” by Cazwell (Sample lyric: “I seen Beyoncé at JC Penney / She rolled up in a ‘94 Chevy.”)