RSS SPIRIT

The only constant is hotness.


These high end couture storefronts come and go as fast as 'hot new colors for fall.' All bright and cheery they arrive on the block, startling displays entice in the thrice-weekly washed window. It makes the seemingly inevitable going out of business even more ignominious. At the end there is only smudged windows displaying old newspapers plastered to keep the empty shelves from sight.

But recently it was discovered that this ladies boutique down the street has been in the obscenely expensive garment racket for 10 years this year. Tangerine started as a neighborhood hopeful back in 1996. The neighborhood has gone through a lot of change, so it makes this impressive feat all the more so.

Yesterday in the store there was an almost too-good-looking manager on duty. She wore a cowboy denim dress and seemed ready to be spirited away by a decadent Italian Viscount. Besides clothes Tangerine sells some jewlery and other accoutremont for the girl who needs a retro technicolor T-shirt for 68 dollars.

This T-shirt, part of their spring light blue and green wear, gives a clue as to the magnitude of Tangerine's achievement. A store needs to keep it real special on a T-shirt to keep selling 68 dollar ones for 10 years.

In a world where too many storefronts must close during a midnight mad dash out the alley in back, it is nice to see a store make it happen season in, season out.

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