Tory Burch in Greenwich

It was one of those Sunday mornings when hubby was at the Jets game that I ended up doing laundry all by myself. I dread doing laundry- I'd almost prefer doing, umm..., anything else!

So, on that day, I came across Town & Country's January issue with Tory Burch on the cover. I love Tory! This was definitely a sign: me doing laundry and coming across her cover. Well, a sign for what I still don't know but it made me happy nonetheless.

I love Tory for many reasons: She's an entrepreneur who found her niche among the many in the field. She knows how to do her PR and has a good sense of who her clientele is. Her work is stylish- perhaps, at times a little logo-heavy. Her tunics are summer staples. Her dresses fit well and shirts are simple, easy pieces. And despite all these successes, she gives the aura that she's a down-to-earth mother who appreciates all things well-made. Well, that speaks to me.

In the article, she mentions that she created her stores to resemble someone's home, so that you don't have that "I'm entering a store" feeling. Oh, I thought to myself, that's how it kind of felt like when I went to her store in Greenwich!

Her store is definitely plush- decorated with warm colors and textiles; it certainly has a luxurious feeling. Clothes are laid out on racks- not so far apart a la comme des garcons- close to each other, you can feel one fabric after another, quite easy on your eyes.

I went through the racks of clothes- all appealing. Of course, because her pieces are classics and because I am a lover of valuable bargains, I headed over to the lonely sales rack all the way at the back of the store, positioned like that solitary table all the way back by the kitchen. I fingered through the rack and the price tags. Not too shabby.

But I had a different mission. I was determined to locate a pair of her black quilted patent leather flats. I looked through the shoes and found a shiny gold pair. With one in my hand, I smiled at the sales person and asked if they had it in black. She was terribly sorry that they were completely sold-out. I asked if we could order from another store and/or from her website. Oh, she said, that was impossible, they were all sold-out. We exchanged smiles. I wonder if she was thinking that I did not know the meaning of "sold-out." I checked in with myself- of course, I was not a repeat client and certainly, this was my first time in this store; she did not know me, or my determination. But that initial feeling of plushness was escaping me in bits.

So, I raised my left eyebrow (something I naturally do when I am inching towards getting irritated), and with my plastered smile, asked her if I can at least try on the shiny gold pair for size. I heard a tiny sigh and she said sure. You bet! As I was waiting for my trial pair, another customer and I started chatting about the different pairs of leopard-print shoes she was trying. They looked adorable on her skinny feet- but naturally, they didn't have her size. Huh. Same story as I got minutes before: it was all sold-out!

Oh, my right eyebrow was about to go up but then I took the better road and whispered to her that I saw the same pair online, so she might want to check it out. Oh, she said looking pleased, she whispered back her thanks and said she'd try doing that.

I took my time trying on the shoes for size- oh, the size 6 was a bit too tight but 6.5 roomy. So, stared at my feet for a bit. Walked around, sat down, crossed my legs,... After deciding on my size, I gave my thanks to the salesperson, smiled and left. Not to ever come back?

In her article, Tory had it right. She aimed to create an atmosphere that left you feeling luxurious. It did in part. Perhaps, in Greenwich, that luxurious feeling was more closely associated with the store itself, and not the salespeople.

Bottom line: I got my shoes in my exact size from plaza too's website, ordered from the comfort of my home while sipping my Earl Grey with honey and milk. Their customer service representative, Michelle, was extremely helpful.

Now, how's that for luxury?