If you're a frequent visitor to Room 363, you know it looks different every time you come in. Mark, the store owner and visionary, is constantly editing, moving, selling, bringing in new pieces, re-moving, stacking, unstacking, changing and improving his space. You don't often find him sitting still. Because of that, it's been difficult for him to keep his blog up-to-date with information that's reflective of current inventory and projects. In order for Mark to keep his customers informed, he's enlisted my help in doing the writing.
My name is Maria. I met Mark at his Grand Opening in August and I immediately became a fan of not only his work, but of him as a person. I live in Naperville with my husband, 4 kids, 2 dogs, 2 frogs, rabbit and fish. We may also have a hamster living somewhere in the house but are unable to pinpoint his exact location at the moment. My passion is writing, but I’ll try to stick with more pictures, less chat for Mark’s blog.
My name is Maria. I met Mark at his Grand Opening in August and I immediately became a fan of not only his work, but of him as a person. I live in Naperville with my husband, 4 kids, 2 dogs, 2 frogs, rabbit and fish. We may also have a hamster living somewhere in the house but are unable to pinpoint his exact location at the moment. My passion is writing, but I’ll try to stick with more pictures, less chat for Mark’s blog.
I recently tagged along on Mark’s trip to StyleMax in Chicago. We were there to start his Spring clothing buying and also pick up a few pieces you’ll see trickling into his store in the next few weeks. If you’re unfamiliar, StyleMax is a women’s apparel and accessory trade show where clothing buyers shop over 3,000 clothing lines (a.k.a. my personal heaven - not so much for Mark). He was grateful to not make this trip to buy women's clothing in bulk on his own.
When we looked at the different lines and clothing pieces at StyleMax, we picked items that would compliment the style of his store and maintain the reasonable price points his customers have come to expect, without sacrificing quality. Here’s a sneak peak from the show:
Room 363 will have plenty of pretty tank options to dress up your favorite pair of jeans or shorts.
Room 363 will have plenty of pretty tank options to dress up your favorite pair of jeans or shorts.
The best, most cost-efficient, clothing purchases are the items you can carry through multiple seasons. For that reason, this dusty rose dress offers great versatility. During the Fall, layer it with leggings, a jean jacket and cute boots. If you're always cold, like me, add a cropped cardigan under the jean jacket. This dress would be equally as stunning worn on a Summer date night, free of the layers.
These shear long-sleeve tops with tie detail are favorites from the show. The patterned top that ties at the waist has a comfortable, care-free, easy feel. The cream with tie detail at the neck works just as well running errands as it does for a dinner out with the girls or paired with a cropped blazer for the office.
To sum up the style of clothing ordered, the theme is pretty and flowy with touches of lace and muted colors. Remember, this is just a very small peak into clothing pieces he has planned for the next several months.
As we go into the gift-giving season, keep an eye out for these leather wristlets arriving soon. They perfectly fit an iPhone (yes, the 5 - we checked) and have space for ID, credit cards and money. These would be great gifts for girlfriends, sisters, sister-in-laws or yourself!
The purchase Mark was most excited about involved bringing in a line of men's shoes. These are the first two styles you'll see in his store. The price point is great and the quality is amazing. They would make great gifts for the man in your life this holiday season!
In addition to the men's shoes, you'll also see some changes to the clothing lines in the upcoming months. Mark is experimenting with new brands and styles. You'll find a good selection of men's basics:
Mark has been working really hard on researching his men's lines. Expect some new additions and changes in the near future.
Stay tuned for more! There's a lot we'll be sharing with you as the boxes start arriving.
