Bringing Shopping Back to the Boutique

E-commerce is taking over the shopping world, and that is especially true for the fashion apparel market.  Sophisticated websites offering lifelike images of products at every angle imaginable, and great shipping & return policies such as those followed by the extremely generous zappos.com make it easier than ever to shop online.  And with all of us taking on more and more everyday, it sure is nice to be able to seek out the best deals and make a purchase with just one click of the mouse.

But despite the speed and convenience e-commerce provides, the web will always lack certain benefits we could all use from time to time. How about the personal service and interaction you receive from boutique staff, such as giving you advice on putting a look together, keeping you updated on the hot new items coming in, or informing you that the dress you are eyeing for an event will already be making an appearance. Ok, realistically speaking you may not get this type of service everywhere unless you are a regular, hefty spender, but how about the luxury of being able to try something on and walking away with a product at the time of purchase.  And then of course it is always nice when you can actually touch, feel, and see the quality of the product you are buying rather than be surprised when the pair of shoes you thought would perfectly match your dress are in fact hot pink and not red!

So is it possible to have the convenience of shopping online with the personal touch only a boutique can offer!? Of course there is with StyleByCommittee.com. As you search for a specific look such as bags, jewelry, dresses, or tops, StyleByCommittee.com  gives you results based on participating boutiques in your area. Once you find that perfect bag, pair of shoes, ring, or hat, you can then visit your local boutique, try the item on, get advice from the store owner, and pair it with other accessories all before committing to a purchase.  In the end you save time, money, and gas by doing the comparison shopping online, with the added bonuses of personal service, no delivery time, and no bad surprises!

Mel Boteri recently joined the Style By Committee fashion community, and we are more than thrilled to help their effort of Bringing Shopping Back to the Boutique! Check out Mel Boteri's featured looks here, or for a list of participating boutiques in your area visit the boutique directory.

Happy Shopping!




  

Expressing One's Individuality, Being Unique, and Standing Out from the Crowd

Mel Boteri is slowly creeping up on its first anniversary since the launch of our custom handbags!  It has been a fun, exciting yet sometimes scary year, and I could not have done it without the help of a special group of friends, family, clients, organizations and other businesses. Although I wish I could list everyone here who has supported Mel Boteri, I'm afraid it would not fit and quite honestly might bore you.  So instead I will thank everyone on my own time, but I do want to give a special shout out to the newest company added to my "thank you" list.

Boticca is an online marketplace for discovering unique items.  They are dedicated to representing only the best independent designers from around the world of jewelry, accessories, and handbags.  They go further than strictly selling, and feature a new designer each week to tell their personal stories as well as the stories behind each designer creation.  When a friend told me about the Boticca site, I was more than anxious to partner with a company who shares with Mel Boteri  the values of expressing one's individuality, being unique, and standing out from the crowd.  Another interesting fact we share, is that both companies were launched in September of 2009 :)

Because Boticca is a strong champion of independent designers like myself,  I have decided to demonstrate my support and am debuting our first, full seasonal collection on our personal Boticca site.  The Mel Boteri Fall/Winter 2010 Collection of pre-designed bags is now available here exclusively, for a limited time. And if you haven't already noticed, there is a small showcase of the bags on my blog sidebar.

Have fun shopping, and I would love to hear what beautiful items you discover to express your unique personality and style!