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Fast fashion has its benefits: it’s cheap, makes you look great (for the first few times around) and is easily accessible to buy. Though it does have its benefits, this genre of fashion barely survives a football tailgate, a fraternity party or even everyday wear. Have you ever been walking in Forever 21 sandals on the way to class, only for them to break? Thought so.
It’s time to take a different turn and splurge on something that not only lasts the test of time, but also makes the wearer feel like a million bucks. Enter Tupelo Honey.
Located right off Sunset Drive and 57th Ave., Tupelo Honey emphasizes denim as the primary piece for its fashions. Owner Jordan Blum says the store is a family run business that has been a staple in the South Florida community for over 40 years.
“We treat our customers like family and know most of them by their first names,” Blum said.
Blum, who works at the store along with his mother, Gail and his father, Ira, has been the buyer for the store since the business’ founding.
At Tupelo Honey, Blum displays the clothing on industrial metal racks to reflect the clean, simple aesthetic he keeps in mind when buying new clothes for the store. While Blum does pay attention to trends in fashion, Blum insists that he mainly focuses on buying what they [he, Gail and Ira] like.
“We bounce ideas off one another. We’ll ask each other: ‘Do you like this? Do you like that?’ We have an inclination on what is going to sell in our store,” Blum said.
Jeans, naturally, hold the title of the top-selling item(s) in the store. Though Adriano Goldschmeid (AG) jeans are the top selling brand, the store also sells other luxury denim brands such as JBrand, Citizens of Humanity, Current/Elliot, Genetic and more.
Jeans, a quintissentially American item of clothing, isn’t complete though without its counterpart: a cotton t-shirt. Pima cotton (a superior blend of cotton and similar to Egyptian cotton) t-shirts in white, black and navy are also sold at Tupelo Honey, waiting to be paired with your next pair of jeans.
Sure, you could get a t-shirt at a fast fashion store for a fraction of the price, but Blum insists the splurge on Tupelo Honey’s pima cotton shirts will be worth it in the end.
“The fabric feels better, it’s a higher quality, and it doesn’t get holes,” Blum said. “They will last longer and feel softer on your skin.”
Tupelo Honey’s embrace of the basics, with its simple color palette and high quality, ensures that each item contains a sense of timeliness and is something that can be worn for years to come.
The ever-classic jean changes with time though and Tupelo Honey adapts its collection to that. For a lived-in, worn-in look, look for a pair of boyfriend jeans. Not your style? Tupelo Honey also carries coated jeans for a slick look or denim joggers, perfect for studying or going to class. Hearts set on stressed jeans though won’t find such an item here.
“A lot of girls come in here with their parents to purchase skinny jeans or jeans with rips in it. Too much distressing is in bad taste,” says Blum.
Besides jeans and t-shirts, Tupelo Honey also showcases snakeskin clutches, printed scarves and graphic tees to give an edge to your new purchases. Also, all items showcased at Tupelo Honey cannot be found in the Shops at Sunset Place.
Stepping into Tupelo Honey provides those who visit with a local experience, reminding one of their favorite boutique back home.
“Good sales help and compelling merchandise makes for a hoog neighborhood store,” Blum said.
So, shop like the locals and ditch the monstrous chain stores for high quality garments hand-selected by a family that knows what they’re doing. After all, they’ve been a staple in the Miami community for over four decades.
IF YOU GO:
Tupelo Honey
7250 SW 57th Ave in South Miami, FL
Tupelo Honey offers 10% off for UM students.
Follow Tupelo Honey on Instagram @TupeloHoneyShop and on Facebook @TupeloHoneyClothing.
words_kelly brody and megan mccrink. photo_kelly brody.