Posts tagged Dharma Imports
Dress the Part: Nighttime Gathering
Jul 8th
After all the daytime grilling and lounging, it’s time go out and really celebrate summer! People will be out and about feeling rested, energized, and amped up about the holiday weekend! Time to ditch the denim and get on with your glam!
Whether your style is sparkly, bohemian, or classic, there are ways to look your finest. Maxi dresses always add a touch of drama, and heeled gladiator booties are perfect for summer nights out. Adding a little gold will go great with that glow you garnered after sitting outside all day, and this is the only season where you can really rock your sleeveless dresses sans cover-up.
Dress: Guess Jeans (size M) $25 / Necklace: $18 / Sandals: Stuart Weitzman (size 9) $89
Dress: Notice (size S) $49 / Wood & Leather Necklace: $16 / Rope & Shell Belt: $15 / Clutch: Vintage Gucci $79 / Shoes: LF, size 8 $29
Dress: Zara Woman (size L) $29 / Elastic & Velour Belt: $15 / Patent Leather Bag: Etienne Aigner $25 / Shoes: Dana Buchman (size 8.5) $49
Dress: Dharma Imports (size M) $38 — NWT! / Leather & Grommet Tote: Carlos Falchi $89 / Sandals: Miz Mooz (size 7.5) $25
~Kim, FashioniSTA/Store Manager - Harvard Square
Treasure Hunting in the Portsmouth Store!
Jun 22nd
Looking for a fashion experience where you can score everything from couture to casual? Then you shoulddefinitely look to take advantage of the Portsmouth sale! Over the past few months, this location has become a magnet for high-end items. They just had four Oscar de la Renta gowns (an example is featured on the right), some even donned by celebrities while strutting down the red carpet! Of course they all sold immediately, but the treasures don’t stop there. They also have had tons of high-end shoes: Prada, Gucci, Lanvin, Louboutin. You name it they have it! (And good news for you size 11 girls, there are shoes in that size too!)
For you contemporary gals, Diane von Furstenberg, Milly, Miu Miu, Lilly Pulitzer, Tory Burch and Anna Sui also live at this Second Time Around. Whether you’re looking for a work-appropriate Right now you can find a great pair of Miu Miu shoes, the perfect DVF printed wrap dress (left), and an Anna Sui dress that is sure to add the right element of unique to your wardrobe. Want even more one-of-a-kind pieces that you can’t get anywhere else? This location is one that houses Dharma Imports direct from the designer, a line that features gorgeous textiles from India and Thailand. From strapless sundresses to printed knit shirts, this line is the perfect way to add color and exotic texture to your closet.
One of the great things about this store is that it helps you piece together the perfect ensemble. They’ve got you covered, whether you’re looking to update your wardrobe with a key summertime piece, or you need an outfit for an upcoming family event, or you simply have nothing to wear for the warmer weather. In addition to designer-themed racks, this STA has set up stylized racks like “Flirty Florals,” “The Perfect Print” and “Ruched and Ruffled.” This helps anyone navigate the new store with ease, letting people shop their favorite trends quickly & easily!
Should you be up for a day of shopping and lunching (think Real Housewives meets Portsmouth, without the obnoxious drama), this STA location is right in the middle of everything you’d want. You can work up quite an appetite scoping out the latest and greatest fashion finds, and you can swing by The Works Bakery Café for an understated yet deserved lunch, Radici for Italian dining, or Sake Japanese Restaurant for your sushi fix. Or for the pizza lover, you can swing by Flatbread, which serves up slices fit for anyone, whether you’re organic, gluten-free, vegan or the original pizza aficionado.
Meet the Manager – Molly Shea 
Molly is a 25-year-old stylista who moved to Portsmouth NH right after graduating college with a fine arts degree. She started working at STA about 3 years ago, and before she knew it, she had moved up to store manager. The stylist in her means the mannequins are always dressed to impress, and the consignor in her means she cleans out her closet on a regular basis (to of course make room for all the STA deals she brings home!).
Fave designer: Marc Jacobs, of course. I also love All Saints and Elizabeth & James
Personal style: Generally in head to toe black. I occasionally add a pop of grey, or chartreuse if I am really feeling racy! I am attracted to anything flowy, asymmetrical, oversized, and always, always in multiple layers!
After-work/weekend hotspot: Brazo!! A fabulous Latin restaurant in town, that makes the best watermelon martinis around, and a few of people who work there are regular shoppers and consignors with us as well!
Latest fashion splurge: I have my eye on a pain of 4-inch Lanvin copper cutout sandals right now! I will be over 6 feet in them, but just to own them would be well worth the splurge!
Best STA deal ever: My Marc Jacobs classic quilted Stam purse for $99! Or my reversible Escada floral cardigan that was only $30! I will never ever get rid of that one!
Dress the Part: Family Gathering
Jun 16th
No matter how large your family gatherings may be, there’s always at least one person present that you need to “dress your best” for. Picky grandparents, that cousin with whom you’re always competing, mother-in-law… time with the extended family should never be taken for granted, but who wants the added stress of dressing for the occasion? No one, so here’s how you can make it a breeze! Learn how to incorporate your taste into outfits that are coordinated and pulled together. Keep your outfit consistent in textures and patterns so as not to clash; it helps you come across as pulled together, not to mention make you appear as if you made an effort to dress well. Some simple fashion rules to keep in mind…
- Dress comfortably, both physically and emotionally. Don’t take a risk with a color / print / style if you don’t feel 100% confident in it; if you feel self-conscious all day about your choice, you won’t be able to relax, and people pick up on that. The same goes for wearing something too structured; if you’re physically uncomfortable in something after only an hour of wearing it, you won’t be able to stop thinking about your discomfort all day. And who wants that?
- Dress your size. Don’t squeeze into something because you reeeeeeally wanted to wear it, and don’t wear anything too oversized (unless it’s intentionally sized that way) — you’ll come across as if you’re hiding (or hiding a baby bump).
- When in doubt, dress up instead of down. Many fashion icons have stated that it’s better to be overdressed for an occasion than under. You can be noticed for looking too fabulous or for looking too boring. You choose.
- Never sacrifice your own personal style for the sake of someone’s expectations. Just temporarily tailor it to put your best face forward for the situation!
Check out some outfit choices from our Harvard Square location:
Tank: Dharma Imports (size S) $28 — NWT! / Jersey Knit Scarf: American Apparel $9 / Skirt: Chip & Pepper (size 6) $35 / Bag: Dooney & Bourke $49 / Flats: Enzo Angiolini (size 8.5) $29
Dress: Dharma Imports (size M) $34 — NWT! / Wooden Bead & Rope Necklace: $8 / Bag: Isabella Fiore $59 / Sandals: Prada (size 8.5) $119
Dress: Theory (size S) $59 / Wood & Leather Necklace: $16 / Bag: Donna Dixon: $19 / Sandals: Miz Mooz (size 7.5) $25
Top: Dharma Imports (size S) $24 — NWT! / Jean Skirt: Theory (size 
$35 / Suede Belt: $15 / Wooden Bead Necklace: $14 / Bag: The Limited $25 / Sandals: Frye (size 10) $59
~Kim, Store Manager-Harvard Square/FashioniSTA
Spotlight On: Dharma Imports
Jul 26th
Oh, summer! We never thought it was possible to have such a love / hate relationship with anything other than pop music or ridiculously high heels … but year after year you prove us wrong. Hidden scenic colors are highlighted by an otherwise scorching sun; the joy of discarding our layers becomes trumped by blankets of humidity. This season may well be the most difficult time of year, fashionably speaking. How on earth is a gal supposed to feel fresh yet remain fashionable?
Portrait 1
Lucky for us all, Second Time Around houses a unique and independent summer fashion line — Dharma Imports! Dresses, tanks, skirts… you name it, Dharma Imports provides it, and it can be found exclusively at select Second Time Around locations!
Ralph Davis, the man behind Dharma Imports, visits India and Thailand annually to scout new designs and textiles for use each season. Beginning in 1987, Davis’ team of tailors worked out of their homes, using their own sewing machines, to create the showcased designs. As the years passed and demand for Dharma Imports grew, the seamstress operation evolved into a series of small factories that now employ up to fifty people per location!
Based out of Portland, ME, Dharma Imports first appeared on the racks of Second Time Around in 2005 after Davis staked a vending tent at one of Harvard Square’s May Fair block parties. A chance purchase by a staff member of Cambridge’s Second Time Around led to a consignment relationship that has since blossomed to encompass ten stores across the East Coast! Each summer, Dharma Imports can be found at our locations in Burlington (VT), Burlington Mall (Burlington, MA), 219 & 324 Newbury St. (Boston, MA), Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA), Georgetown (Washington DC), Portsmouth (NH), Providence (RI), Portland (ME), and Philadelphia (PA).
If you’re in need of a fabulous frock this summer to help you stay cool (both in temperature and in tailoring!), look no further. Help yourself to a little style for your soul, while you’re at it — by shopping both STA and Dharma Imports, you’re supporting local fashion and independent international economy!
Check out the looks created by the fashioniSTAs over at the shop where it all began, Harvard Square!
~Kim, Manager, Harvard Square
Portrait #1: Strapless Dharma Imports Dress — $36 / Sofia Tartufoli Sandals — $42 / Oscar de la Renta Sunglasses — $78
Portrait #2: Embroidered Dharma Imports Tank — $18 / Theory Skirt — $38 / Kenneth Cole Reaction Sandal — $24 / Cole Haan Sunglasses — $40 / Hattie Carnegie Vintage Bag — $52
Portrait #3: Halter Dharma Imports Dress — $38 / Cole Haan Sandals — $42 / HOBO International Bag — $52 / Jade Necklace — $12