SPLURGE AT VASARRI

Splurge? In this economy? Absolutely!

Splurge - splurj verb –1. to indulge oneself in some luxury or pleasure, especially a costly one

2. to spend (money) lavishly or ostentatiously

So if you’re one of those Baltimorean’s who keeps up with the latest of the “what’s hot and what’s not”, the “where to be and be seen”, the “haves and have not’s”, etc. etc, by reading the latest issue of local magazines, then surely you’ve read this month’s Baltimore Magazine’s BEST OF issue…This eagerly anticipated rag is the unveiling of all that is fabulous and fantastic in and around the Charm City area. It’s ok. I am always anxious to read it too. Mostly to see if I agree with the consensus on what the final say is. Nobody has ever asked me for my opinion on what is best of the best in Baltimore. Who gets to vote on this, anyways?

From crab cakes to cocktails, facials to footwear, spas to special occasion wear, this list covers it all. And speaking of special occasion wear, VASARRI made the “SPLURGE” list in this category. Did you see that? I'm sure this comes as no surprise to many of you...whether you've been to our store or not. We're well aware what people "think" about us. What do we think of this? We love it! We think it’s an honor to be considered a splurge….even in this economy! Up against Loehman’s, which got the “SAVE” bragging rights, we agree, Loehman’s has some pretty amazing deals…..IF you feel like rummaging through a gazillion racks of mismatched clothes and then getting naked in front of 40 other strange women so that you can try your hopefuls on only to find that you need to get dressed again to go out and get a different size of the cute little skirt that you love and then you forgot where you found it to begin with. Yea, we like to think that “splurging” has its “benefits or justification”, if you will. VASARRI is to Fashion as Starbucks is to Coffee.

Why do people pay $5.65 for a Vente Soy Café Latte? It’s the experience, the ambience, the satisfaction of asking for and getting exactly what you want.


So why do women splurge on a designer cocktail dress at VASARRI when they could save money and go to Loehman’s? Maybe it’s the personal attention that they receive when they walk through the door. We know our customers by name. We know their kids’ and grandkids’ names. We know their style, and taste, and size. We know what looks good on them and we call them when something comes in that we know they absolutely must have. When’s the last time your Loehman’s salesperson called you….or called you by name for that matter?

Hmmmm… love that designer jacket at Loehman’s but the only one you can find is a size 2 and you’re a 10? Too bad, Sister. You’re out of luck. You’ll just have to covet your Barbie sized co-worker when she comes strutting in to the next staff meeting sporting it and her matching stilettos. You can curse under your breath all you want, but when you splurge at VASARRI, you have the right to ask for AND order your size even if we don’t have it in stock. See how far you get with that one at Loehman’s.

Splurging at VASARRI, allows you to have your own private dressing room, complete with a chandelier and real lighting…not the harsh fluorescent lighting of department stores that highlights all of your flaws and misgivings. And we promise, your backside will be your own personal secret. You will not have to behave like a contortionist by standing on one leg, with a dress half on half off trying to cover your right cheek while attempting to coyly dress your left cheek in a pair of silk pants so as not to show the imperfections of your imperfect body.

And did you know, if you call ahead and tell us you’re coming and what you’re looking for, we’ll select items that we think will be appropriate and have them waiting for you in the dressing room when you arrive? How about that for splurging?

When you’re here, your sales associate is your personal wardrobe stylist, providing advice, tips, and suggestions that will help you to build a wardrobe, not just random pieces that will hang collectively with the tags on, only to be shoved further and further to the dark abyss of the back of your closet, never to be seen again. And I must say, Ladies, (and I am as guilty as can be) that skirt, shirt, "fill in the blank" that you just had to have "because it was such a good deal”… if it still has the tags on and you’ve had it for more than 2 months, is quickly becoming the most expensive thing you have in your closet.

Phyllis, loyal VASARRI customer and sales associate says, “ I don’t have anything in my closet that has the tags on. I only buy what I love, what fits, and what will work into my existing wardrobe. Everything I own came from VASARRI. The pieces coordinate and work with multiple things in my closet.”

That’s what we do for you here at VASARRI. We help you build your wardrobe, so that it makes sense and tells a story. We eliminate the “closet guilt” that eats away at you and steals your clothing joy.

So on behalf of all of us at VASARRI, Thank You! Baltimore Magazine, for the elite title of “SPLURGE”. We couldn’t agree more! And you know what? We think our customers deserve to splurge….and often.

But guess what? Just because we're considered a SPLURGE by some doesn't mean that all of our price points are in the "SPLURGE" world. We know many of you out there have never stepped foot into our store because you "think" you can't afford us. Please, let me dispel this myth. Yes, we are a stand alone boutique with gorgeously dressed windows, which usually announces to would be fashionistas that we are completely high end and totally snooty, but I must say, that I can think of about 20 different adorable "of the moment" dresses in the store right now that are all under $200 and they are not even on sale. And as far as sales go? How about a designer gown that was $1000 and is now $200 or one that was $8000 is now $1000? Got quite a few of those right now. And for the real bargain hunters, we've even got a rackful of things for (Gasp!) $25. Yes, that's right, TWENTY-FIVE dollars! Who ever would have thought? And by the way, even if you're trying on $25 clothes and $200 gowns, we still let you use one of our private dressing rooms. Can you imagine??? Oh and as far as the "snoot factor goes? We are so far from snooty that our customers often give us hugs and send us "fan mail" to tell us what a wonderful experience they've had and thanking us for helping to make them look completely stunning on their special day.

So the next time you’re feeling a little timid about shedding your clothing in the bright lights of a crowded dressing room and remembering (in horror) that your bra and panties don’t match today because you didn't get the laundry done last night, ask yourself, “Don’t I deserve something better? Don’t I deserve to splurge?"

Of course you do! Come to VASARRI, where there’s always something special inside!