Tag Archive | "Halifax"

Want a Biscuit?

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Want a Biscuit?

Posted on 25 July 2007 by Sara Forsyth

Photos courtesy of Biscuit General Store.

“Saturated colour is a big trend,” says Wendy Friedman sitting in her tiny office at the back of Biscuit General Store. A small curtained window is behind her, overlooking swirling racks of flirty shirts and sleek empire waists.

“Kelly green… yellow. People always said, ‘Stay away from yellow! It’s a really hard sell.’ But yellow has been so big this season.”

As if on cue, Friedman’s assistant lifts a lemon dress off one of the racks and shows it to a customer who practically runs with it to the fitting room.

Friedman opened Biscuit 11 years ago with $2,000 largely because she was tired of constantly looking for things only to find they weren’t available in Halifax – her new home.

Today it is the go-to boutique for quirky flats or an impressively hip birthday card. And Friedman feels Biscuit is finally becoming the place she always wanted it to be: a modern day department store.

“They’ve really become outdated in North America,” she says. “There isn’t a version of the department store that speaks to my generation and people younger than me. (We’re looking for) a place where you can get a t-shirt and a great cocktail dress, and makeup, and a fun gift for your friend.”

One of Biscuit’s tenets is to offer “great gifts for $20 or less.” You’ll find tableware with nuclear ‘50s references, a copy of Little Miss Bossy and a straw fedora. Never again will Haligonians be forced to buy what Friedman calls “fallback gifts,” like wine or a fruit basket.

Everything sold at Biscuit is carefully selected, and Friedman has no qualms about sending an item – whether it’s a piece by Valerie Dumaine or a pack ghetto flash cards – back if they are not up to snuff,.

“My rule of thumb is: If it’s trendy it should be inexpensive,” she says. “If you’re going to invest in something then it should be really well made and classically based.”

Clothing at Biscuit runs from $30 tees to $300 embellished evening dresses. The diverse products lend themselves to a diverse clientele (from school girls to frat boys to theatre-going grandmas), and the result is exactly what Friedman always wanted – a store where everyone can walk in and have fun.

Biscuit General Store: 1661 Argyle St., Halifax. Open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. (902-425-5436)

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What a Peep Show

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What a Peep Show

Posted on 25 July 2007 by Cindy Cook

Credit: Cindy Cook

Credit: Cindy Cook

Its cheeky name and pink exterior hints at something special for the true girly girl and, once inside, Peepshow Girly Boutique does not disappoint.

Greeted with an enthusiastic “Hey there”, the Peepshow customer is made to feel welcome the moment she enters the store.  “It’s about the total shopping experience,” says store owner Erin Smith. “We want to offer a little bit of what people crave from bigger cities all wrapped up in one store.”

This eclectic mix includes unique Canadian faves such as Body Bag by Jude (Montreal), Dace (Vancouver), Kitchen Orange, (Montreal), Twice Shy (Vancouver), Jesse May (Montreal) and Dagg and Stacey (Toronto).  Their largest selection of denim, Fidelity, is also Canadian.

“Our key customer is one who wants to get noticed,” says Erin.  “She is the fun, hip girl who is confident with her style and does not mind drawing attention with her clothes.”

Peepshow’s interior décor matches this philosophy with bright turquoise walls, black and gold trimmings, and whimsical touches in every corner. “We wanted a store that was out of character for the city — a punch of what was not already happening in Halifax” which, says Erin, is also how she named the boutique. “The name [Peepshow] is edgy and playful; people are curious as to what’s inside.”

Peepshow is located at 1717 Barrington Street in Halifax’s downtown shopping district.

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