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Not-So-Desperate Housewives
Shopping in NaplesBy Kate Pursell
 Shopping nirvana in Naples |
They came on a girls' long weekend to find shopping nirvana. And they did, what with a Vera Wang trunk sale, Oprah-endorsed Cambio jeans and unique gifts galore for the folks back home.
One of the forty-something housewives called Naples "Shopping Heaven," adding "Don't use our names… we're really not desperate housewives!" as they left the Arabesque stationary and gift store on palm tree-lined Fifth Avenue South.
The girls admired the creamy, heavy stock note cards hand-stamped with palm trees and debated, "When is it proper to send a thank you (note) by e-mail?" They could mull it over later sipping a glass of Stags' Leap merlot from the Bacchus of Naples wine shop.
Their shopping bags fluttered in the gentle afternoon breeze as the "desperate housewives" strolled among other shoppers in the charming "olde" downtown area. Gushing about their first time visit, they vowed "We'll be baaack," as one housewife adjusted her jaunty navy-trimmed straw hat.
 Upscale shops abound in Naples |
It was at Clothes by Consignment when I – not a desperate housewife! – had my "Holy Grail" moment of shopping when I spotted a cream-colored Chanel boucle jacket. The $300 price tag made my heart flutter: Retail would push it to several thousand. St. John, Escada, Jil Sander, even a few Valentinos – castoffs that qualify as full-blown treasures – filled the shop.
Wearing comfy shoes is a must, because you'll want to spend hours scouring the shops for unique treasures. "Unique" certainly described the toddler-sized pink chiffon swimsuit with matching hat that Kathy LaBlue bought for her granddaughter at Cottontails. Later, as she took a final sip of coffee at McCabe's Irish Pub, she smiled impishly and whispered the $142 price tag so hubby couldn't hear.
Larisa Hodginson (another New Yorker) came prepared in low-heeled sandals as she dashed into the Quiet Storm shop to try on a mint-hued hip-hugging skirt she had admired in the window. Husband John waited patiently outside, watching the Fifth Avenue crowds as they admired artwork in the galleries, sipped martinis at outdoor bistros and took in the genteel ambience on a heavenly spring evening.
At Marissa Collections on Third Street South (also part of the historic downtown district), Dolce & Gabanna, Prada, Versace and Valentino enticed, as did the Vera Wang trunk show. I was tempted to slip on a pair of Manolo Blahniks and strut in my best imitation of Sarah Jessica Parker.
 Shops at Venetian BayElena Prostova |
Adoration was easy at the Village on Venetian Bay (60 waterfront shops, galleries and restaurants with brick paths and courtyards) and at the Waterside Shops at Pelican Bay. A dozen high-end stores (Tiffany's among them) open in November at Waterside Shops to join 45 other stores that include Saks, Talbots, Papyrus, Sharper Image and Polo Ralph Lauren.
Shopping can be tiring, and you need your strength, so a light lunch of iced tea and a mixed-green salad topped with sugared-pecans and bleu cheese at Silver Spoon is a necessity. Or so I told myself.
Thus fortified, dare I now mention the Coastland Mall, with 150 stores such as Dillards, Macy's and Victoria's Secret? Or the many bargains to be found at the Prime Outlets (located between Naples and Marco Island)? Sounds as if those desperate housewives might have a stop or two more before heading home!
Do you and your friends shop in packs? Free tours of Fifth Avenue South are available to groups; just call 239-435-3742 about a week prior to your visit. Special gallery talks and behind-the-scenes tours of Sugden Theater are also available.
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