Education of the Modern Doctor: Marcus Welby vs. House 
South Park's Make Good
It’s inspiring, really, that not only have the three new retail stores detailed below opened in the last two months—in these “hard” times—but they also all boast recycled, upcycled and/or local goods. A sign of things to come? I think the oldest store here is seven weeks, a mere infant. And while none is teeming with people just yet, each has clear concepts that mirror neighborhood surroundings. Now is the time folks—get in while the gettin’s good (and before the best stuff is gone.)
First up, Bedouin Vintage Collective (2621 El Cajon Blvd., 619-683-9491) is located befittingly next to the Chicken Pie Shop—some of the clothes inside this used boutique would look right at home on a few of the servers there. Sort of on the outer edges of the hipper central North Park, the store looks a little dark. But don’t let that stop you. The racks are organized by color, which makes for a lovely visual when surveying from afar. Step closer and you’ll find a treasure trove of ruffled Big Love prairie dresses and mini mod masterpieces. Full-length Hawaiian summer dresses round out the racks. There are boys’ duds too—tees and button-downs and cords. The prices are good to fair—think $15 to $25 for shirts, $30 and up for dresses. As the name implies, the stock comes from a multitude of collectors and merchants, but it’s all pretty seamless and the pickins are swell. The smattering of accessories is great fun, too, from clutches to belt buckles and bags.
Next up, Make Good (2207 Fern St., South Park, themakegood.com), which started its life as a corner in the South Park ice cream store Scoop, then moved into a corner of the now-defunct Citizen Video. It’s taken over the space and filled in all the gaps with art, used clothes and gorgeous hand-madeness. That’s the underlying theme here: small craft. The results hit so much more than miss. Headbands made from ties, stuffed animals and small wallets make up the goods by local maker Freckles. Friends from a previous column on Etsy—Bottlehood and Sam and Sara—both have their goods here. There are dainty faux peacock-feather earrings that started their life as plastic bags, made by Emily Grace Suitcase, and a purse that looks like a steak from Pokeydog. I love the hand-painted record covers that turn Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal into Day of the Dead-like zombies. Those are painted by owner Sofia Hall’s husband, Jon. And there’s a whole host of really creative cards, stuffed animals and other pieces that look like a child’s hand was at work—in the best possible way—from Lizette Greco. Everything here has a story, like the letterpress cards made from “recycled cotton,” aka lint, from commercial dryers.
Last, we have Sugar Kiss (4185 Adams Ave., sugar kissboutique.blogspot.com) a pretty little gift store tucked away in a woodsy strip mall in Kensington. First thing you notice is the smell. It’s good. It just smells fresh and clean, like you’d expect a store in Kensington to smell. It has a lovely mix of goods for the Kensington crowd: beautiful baby clothes and blankies; tongue-in-cheek notecards from Redstar Ink; a charitable line of attractive vegan body products called Lotus Love Beauty; screen-printed cotton scarves that would look equally smart with an antique-y dress or classic prep jeans and a crisp shirt; and playful, food-inspired jewelry. My favorite item was the bedside glass water jug modeled off a classic thermos shape. Or maybe the Green Cow clutches—they’re made locally from previously used leather. Great gifts, all around. But mostly I don’t want to leave this sweet shop because it smells so darn good.
Write to clea@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.
