Shop Hop

Wed., August 27
It’s been a sparse few weeks on the social scene during these Dog Days of summer (though last weekend’s annual Bethany Beach party blow-out thrown by Joe Wohlman attracted quite a few Baltimoreans including Tom Brinkley, Jim Halley, Myron Coplan and James Piper Bond; spotted later that night in the Starboard: Cupcake’s Lisa Schatz and Alex and Rob Shek).
But this evening, many regulars on the Baltimore circuit turned up for Style and PaperDoll magazines’ newest event, Shop Hop, held at the 1840’s Ballroom. Some 20 of the top fashion retailers in Baltimore and Annapolis brought out their newest fall merchandise for this shop’n'sip extravaganza. Stores like L’Apparenza, Urban Chic, South Moon Under, Whimsey & Reason, Lord & Lady Bug, Cupcake, Form, and Diva were ringing up sales all evening (and at a 20% discount!). The Baltimore Sun‘s society columnist Sloane Brown was on hand to report on the scene (she tapped yours truly to tape a video segment for her party blog); also spotted in the crowds of shoppers racing from the clothing racks to the dressing rooms: Mary Sapeta, Eleanor Chisholm, Katie Helfrich, Ruth Ann Boykin, Sandra Flax, Julia Keelty, Lisa Poland, Tracy Kwiatkowski, Robin Chesley, Tiffany Zappulla, Susan Garabedian, Laurie Wingate, Ronnie Buerger, Maggie Moseley-Farley, Nick Travelstead, Greg Harris, Travis Wright and Stephanie Bradshaw. Guests poured in all evening, stopping for a cocktail and a nibble on the first floor before heading upstairs to the main event. Racks were emptied and bags were filled as shoppers systematically stripped the vendors of their wares for four hours. Then many tired shoppers returned to the complimentary bar to enjoy a cocktail to reward themselves for completing the task at hand.