Last Saturday I did a bit of shopping in my own backyard, historic downtown Ventura. We have lots of cool little locally owned boutiques and shops,
great restaurants and coffee shops, and it is only a few blocks from the beach. It is usually pretty busy on the weekends and you never know who you
are going to run into. I was wrapping up an afternoon of perusing the shops when I ran into our lovely spokesmodel, Ali, and her wonderfully vivacious
mom, Terry. They were in Ventura shopping for Ali’s Homecoming dress. Although they live in the Westlake Village area where shopping is plentiful,
they took the 30 minute drive to our charming little town to hunt for a very important item. And they found it. Easily. I have to admit that I was impressed.
Ali found the perfect dress at Le Monde Emporium. Le Monde is a wonderful boutique that I have shopped at myself and have recommended to many. I was
happy to see that Ali and Terry loved it, too, and found what they were looking for. I’ve been meaning to do a piece on this fabulous little shop
and when I got a call from our beautiful spokesmodel, Caroline, requesting advice on finding the perfect Homecoming dress, it just seemed like the
right time to tell everyone about Ventura’s sweet little secret.
Le Monde Emporium is owned by Sandi Hood and has been in business for the past 5 years. Le Monde is part trendy boutique, part formal and evening
wear. Downstairs, shoppers have a plethora of on-trend items to choose from, including great plaid jackets for fall and ruffled hand bags (I’ll have to
do another piece just on their fall items), the second story of the shop is devoted to bridal and formal wear (including very reasonably priced Jessica
McClintock’s). Sandi stocked the back of the shop with adorable cocktail dresses perfect for Homecoming. Le Monde boasts lots of repeat customers
because it offers a good selection at great prices. The dresses are ready to wear and range in price from $30 to $90.
While every girl has their own sense of style and each school differs in tradition, Homecoming is considered a semi-formal event and generally calls
for a short, cocktail style dress. This year, Homecoming dress trends are vintage inspired and classic. Other trends include bubble dresses, styles
that are more fitted, and, I love this one, dresses with pockets. I spotted a beautiful magenta dress with a fuller skirt and pockets for under $50. The
dress was not fitted so there would be no visible bulk from the lipstick and phone it would carry. Texting can safely continue without carrying a bag!
Sandi advised that the most popular colors have been royal blue, magenta and red. As far as accessories go, colored shoes are popular this season, along
with beaded, and she carries many, along with a great selection of clutches (if your dress doesn’t have pockets.) Feathered or beaded headbands and
clips round out this year’s look.
Another option, for those that want a a more formal or “red carpet” type of look, is California & Main, also located in Downtown Ventura. This shop
literally has thousands of dresses to choose from. They have their own designs and, as they cater to the pageant circuit, almost all are long and
formal. This is not the shop for those that want to peruse racks, however. You advise the shop person of the style and color you have in mind and they
pull the dresses for you. During Prom season, the line for the store is out the door and winds down the street. Here is what makes this shop special and
unique: they alter your dress from long to short (i.e. from Prom to Homecoming) in about a week. They can do any kind of alteration you want so
you end up with a semi-custom dress. Even Miss California trusts them with her dresses (I saw a gorgeous gown they are altering for her). Christian Pelayo,
the owner’s brother, says that they are altering almost every Homecoming dress they sell. The average price for a dress is $300, however, they are having
a sale to cater to Homecoming shoppers. Prices are lowered to $189 for the dress and $20-$30 for the alterations.
So, as you can see, shopping in Ventura is worth the drive. Come check it out and maybe we will run into each other. See you there!
Laura
CONTEST ALERT!!!!
I had a great idea for a contest and think it will be so cool!! Here is the scoop:
- Have someone take a picture of you wearing your homecoming dress holding a sign that says ‘Photoshoot AE style, please!’
- Show us your best model face and winning personality in the photo (check our mini model above if you need inspiration… )
- send it to info@amandaelkinsphotography.com with your contact info
We’ll be chosing 3 to 5 girls to join us on a fun photoshoot and I promise you will not want to miss this! Look forward to checking your entry!
~A
