The perfect dress was waiting for me in a small boutique in Aiken. Caroline’s should have been the first place I looked, but I live in Charleston. I spent an entire afternoon perusing all the shops on King Street with a friend. Nothing fit. If it did fit, it did not look right for my age or shape. Women in their mid-fifties want to be stylish and classy, which should not be difficult when one is a perfect 10. That is, size 10, so yes, I am curvy with an emphasis on hips. I was looking for a dress to wear for my daughter’s wedding rehearsal and dinner in March.
There are elegant shops on King Street. My dream dress just wasn’t there. So, on a trip to Aiken to firm up the details of my daughter’s wedding reception, I popped into Caroline’s. I found two dresses in just minutes and took them to the dressing room with a hope and a prayer. One was long-sleeved with a brown and white cheetah print, the other was sleeveless with a black chevron design and royal blue color block. They both fit and I felt fabulous in each of them. God bless the person who invented stretch fabric that does not wrinkle or cling. There were no zippers or buttons to struggle with either. I asked the saleswoman which she thought best for a buffet dinner at the Palmetto Golf Club. She talked me into getting both dresses and letting the hubby give an opinion. Naturally, he said, “Keep them both.”
Shopping in Aiken is always delightful. Not only is it a pleasant walk, with everything contained within a few blocks, but the store fronts are always fresh and charming. What amazes me most about Aiken’s downtown area is that every store front is filled. It has the look of a thriving community without being overcrowded. It is progressive and still quaint. I am able to find unique gifts in every price range. I can refresh my wardrobe with a sassy new style or a classic staple. When there is time, the family can spend a whole morning or afternoon looking around, eating, and purchasing all the necessaries. There is even a little night life.
Three generations of our family have been shopping locally in Aiken, and we do prefer it to shopping at a mall. Customer service and selection are the main reasons. It is fun to have a relationship with the shop owners and sales people. I even received a call once when a sales lady got in a new item that she thought would be perfect for me.
Grandma and our girls have had success with dress shopping in downtown Aiken as well. We went to Charlotte’s Bridal Boutique to find a stunning beaded pastel evening gown for our oldest daughter’s senior prom. She was chosen to be on the court, so we were delighted to find a dress that was one of a kind. Grandma was there to offer commentary, and she gave a nod of approval at the Audrey Hepburn look. She also found her grandmother-of-the-groom suit at the same shop. It is a generational shop that provides excellent service and selection.
After dress hunting, we like to go to lunch at Malia’s for the Salmon Flatbread or the Shrimp Pontchartrain, a dish that was perhaps developed at the New Orleans hotel by the same name. I am always impressed by tasty seafood dishes.
The final stop was always at the Plum Pudding. We have purchased countless goodies for the kitchen there over the last twenty years. Even my hubby loves to shop there for gadgets, since he is an excellent cook and likes to be well-equipped when trying new recipes.
The shops on Laurens Street are some of my favorite of all time. That may be because they are associated with special occasions for our family. Whenever we were in Aiken to visit the grandparents, it was for a holiday, birthday, or wedding. Grandma loved to take us window-shopping downtown, which often ended with ice cream for the girls. It is a treat to get three generations together, and we are lucky to make it happen once or twice a year because our family lives coast to coast. I am now the grandma with dreams of taking my three-year-old granddaughter on a trip to Laurens Street to search for a special dress.
