Store News & Events

The June 14th, 2007 edition of the Columbus Dispatch had a great interview with The James Store co-owner, Samantha Smith. The article was part of the weekly Shop Talk section that features an interview with local small business owners.

Recently we have seen a surge in the number of Columbus customers that are visiting the store during a day trip to Granville. The James Store offers a selection of boutique clothing brands for women & children that are hard to find even in a large city like Columbus, Ohio. Plus, a day trip to Granville offers great restaurants, museums, shopping– a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon.

Questions? Give us a call at 740-587-3061 or email at info@thejamesstore.com.

The James Store will begin carrying Crocs sometime toward the end of June 2007.  We are extremely excited to begin carrying the great line.  Watch the website for the announcement when the shipments arrive.

There are a fair number of customers anxious to buy multiple pairs, so please shop the store early when they arrive.  We will try to re-order frequently to ensure we offer a wide selection on an ongoing basis.

From June 7-10, 2007, stop in to The James Store and save on all retired Vera Bradley styles and patterns.  This sale only occurs twice a year, and is a great time to save on some really nice pieces.

Questions?  Give us a call at 740-587-3061 or email info@thejamesstore.com.

Preparation

Always turn your jeans inside out before washing. This protects the outside surface from rubbing against other garments. It will prevent fading and keep the jeans looking new. Keep the fly zipped and the waist button closed. This will clean the top of the jeans better and keep them flatter. Fold the Jeans. Once the jeans are inside out, fold the jeans side seam to side seam and place them neatly in the washing machine to prevent the color from cracking . Carcking results in faded lines in the legs. Do not overload. Place too many items in the washer and you also risk cracking the jeans. Your jeans should move freely about the machine.

Washing

Use a warm wash and a cold rinse. This is the colored fabric cycle. Fill the machine with water before adding detergent. The detergent: never use detergent containing bleach. Don t even trust color-safe bleach. Why torment your fabrics? Fabric softeners too can be bad news as you risk splotching if it stays on the jeans for too long. Pre-soaks tend to break down natural fibers and should only be used sparingly. Protecting Colors: hile the above steps may be enough, you can take extra precautions to preserve the colors longer, especially black. Once the water fills the drum, add one or two thimblefuls of plain white vinegar and one to two teaspoons of salt (this helps set the dye stuffs) and run the cycle. Do not go overboard on the amounts you don’t want to smell like a French fry! Remove immediately. Let the wash run its course, but make sure to take the jeans out as soon as it is finished. Treating stains: the quicker, the better. It’s easy to bury stained clothes at the bottom of the laundry pile. Yet the longer a stain sits, the more time it has to work into the fibers. Reduce the concentration of problem stains by diluting them with water right away. Treat your FDJ French Dressing jeans well and you will be rewarded.

Drying

Gentle shake. Make sure the zipper and button are still closed, and gently shake the jeans at the waistband. This helps get rid of excess wrinkling. If your jeans have been feeling a tad smaller at the waistband, now is the time to work your way around the waistband and gently pull as you go. This will very slightly stretch the waist and may do the trick.
Refold. Fold the jeans side seams together and then fold again, waist to hem. Place the folded garment on the dryer drum, being careful not to overload, and throw in a fabric softener sheet. Don t over-dry. Run the dryer until the jeans are just dry enough (probably about 45 minutes). Over-drying will kill the fabric, similar to your skin being baked by the sun. Neatly fold the jeans and hang them up. Keep the fly and button closed so the top of the garment will remain flat. Because you ve treated your jeans so well, you shouldn t have to iron. Avoid dry-cleaning any jeanswear product, as it tends to flatten the look and feel. Denim, after all, is easy care and who wants all those chemicals next to their skin?

You can purchase FDJ French Dressing jeans and other FDJ apparel from the James Store.

In late May, The James Store began carrying Vera Bradley luggage, in addition to its existing large selection of Vera Bradley merchandise.  As you may know, we are not allowing to sell these items online, but if you have any questions, please call the store at 740-587-3061, or drop us an email at info@thejamesstore.com.

The new luggage will almost certainly be a huge hit, so stop in before it is scooped up.  However, rest assured we will be ordering more, and can also place a special order for you if you know what you want.  This year we began selling Vera Bradley towels, flip-flops and other beach gear– and it was a big hit as well.
For all Vera Bradley news, visit our Vera Bradley info page on the website.

The James Store has carried Ann Trinity clothing for a number of years now.  If you are looking for clothing from Ann Trinity, and can’t find it in our online store, feel free to drop us an email at info@thejamesstore.com.  Often if you are looking for specific item, we can contact the manufacturer and arrange a special shipment.

Keep an eye on our Ann Trinity information page to keep abreast of news and notes about this particular line.

We have begun receiving our shipments of new Suzi Chin dresses for spring and summer of 2007.  Stop by the store to take a look, or shop the Suzi Chin section of our online store.  Either way, you may want to act quickly– we sold out of our first styles in only a few days.

Starting in June 2007, The James Store will begin offering Tea Collection children’s clothing.  Read more about this socially-conscious clothing manufacturer on their website.  Feel free to call the store (740-587-3061) to inquire.

Back in early 2006, the fashion information site, Boutique Cafe, interviewed Greggy Girl founder, Charlene May. As a preview, here is an excerpt from their introduction:

“Meet Charlene May, founder and president of Greggy Girl a popular worldwide boutique clothing company for girls. Charlene shares secrets of Greggy Girl’s international success and her inspirations for one of the leading boutique companies.”

Listen to Part 1
Listen to Part 2
Hope you enjoy! And while you’re at it, visit The James Store’s Greggy Girl information page.

The James Store does not yet sell Crocs, but I guarantee you, we are trying.  In the meantime, here is a great background article from Business 2.0/CNN Money describing the surging growth of this company.  Highlights are:

• Crocs IPO in February was the richest in footwear history.
• In 2003, Crocs grossed $1 million in revenue– they project $322 million in 2007.
• Three pals from Boulder, Colorado went sailing in the Caribbean and a foam clog one had bought in Canada inspired them to build a business around it.
• Crocs were first sold to sailing enthusiasts but soon gained a word-of-mouth following among doctors, gardeners, waiters, and other people who have to be on their feet all day.

Visit the James Store Crocs Shoes & Sandals Page to stay up-to-date on our effort to carry this product.