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As some of you may have heard already, the accessory chain Charming Charlie is the next store to fall prey to the so-called “retailer apocalypse” – the company has declared bankruptcy. Online sales have already stopped, and all stores will be closed by August 31 (though many have already been liquidated). I was super bummed to hear this news! Charming Charlie was one of my favorite affordable accessories retailer, and who doesn’t love walking into a store that’s completely color-coded?! If you haven’t already, be sure to scrounge around your wallet and drawers to see if you have an old CC gift card anywhere. If there’s a store in your area, now is your last chance to spend that money!
Charming Charlie was always the perfect store to browse for the finishing touches of an outfit, whether that be a colorful statement necklace, breezy scarf, or trendy purse. As you can tell from the photo montage above (inspired by Madonna’s “Vogue” music video), I also loved picking up affordable sunglasses there! All three pairs are from CC, and the store always had such a great selection of unique and trendy shades for very low prices. This gorgeous vintage-inspired beaded clutch is from Charming Charlie, as is this super cute brown patterned dress.
Since I found out about the Charming Charlie closures while I was in Spain, I had my mom double check my wallet for any gift cards. Sure enough, I still had a card with $8 on it. She took it to our local store and browsed the shelves, returning with the adorable pineapple purse and the striped sunglasses featured in this post! How cute will this fruity bag be for a beach vacation?
That was another thing I always appreciated about CC – they often carried purses that looked like designer dupes of a lot of Kate Spade NY bags, like this fun pineapple crossbody or other unique shapes like cacti and ice cream cones. Obviously I’m not going to drop $200+ on a purse that looks like a summer snack, but $20? Heck yah! Charming Charlie allowed shoppers to experiment with trends without breaking the bank, and that’s what I loved about them.
Sadly, more and more physical retailers are closing each year due to the increasing demand of online shopping. I’ve never been one to online shop (maybe because I don’t have a credit card yet?) but it scares me to think how much people are beginning to rely on websites and the convenience of shopping from home. Sure, does shopping in your PJs with a hot chocolate in hand sound delightful? Of course. But so does being able to actually feel and try-on items before buying them, not paying for shipping, and not having the hassle of returning stuff that doesn’t fit because the sizing chart was incorrect. Call me old fashioned, but I’ll be fighting the online shopping bandwagon ‘til the day I die (or should I say, ‘til the day brick-and-mortar stores die, since that’s definitely going to come first).
What are your thoughts on online shopping? Do you love it, or do you also fear the death of some of your favorite clothing stores by the hand of a few clicks and a web browser? Let me know in the comments below, and have a fantastic weekend!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
Black Dress: hand-me-down // Beaded Sandals: Camelback Resort Gift Shop, $20 // Striped Sunglasses: Charming Charlie // Pineapple Purse: Charming Charlie