Best Place to Dress Like (or in) an '80s Rock Star 2002 | Five & Dime | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Place to Dress Like (or in) an '80s Rock Star

Five & Dime

For almost ten years, Lynn Pastore has been selling retro clothing out of her 13th Avenue storefront, but her latest line is a stretch -- sometimes literally. The Five & Dime's suddenly doing a booming business in old rock-and-roll T-shirts, the forerunners of all those souvenirs that would soon become a mandatory part of the concert experience. Although Pastore puts the best ones on her Web site, www.510vintage.com, the store always has a good selection of merchandise from the great and near-great of the arena-rock era. Pastore's catalogue is as big as a Styx fan's hair, and if you are one of those who said yes to Yes, you're sure to find some threads here to keep your band's memory alive and kicking out the jams.

Best Place to Buy Not-So-Cheap Elvis Sunglasses

The Bent Lens

The King may be dead, but his style lives on. The Bent Lens now sells a fabulous pair of the King's sunshades by Neostyle, the original maker of Mr. Presley's infamous specs. These rock-n-roll replicas are every bit as decadent as the original: Plated in 14K gold with star-making rose-brown gradient lenses, the "Nautic" sells for the King-size price of $425. But, hey, they might just turn you into a hunka hunka burnin' love.

Best Dress-Up -- Adult Division

Red Rocks Community College Theatre Department

Plan to make a dramatic yet affordable entrance at your next Halloween party with a little help from the Theatre Department at Red Rocks Community College. For $150 plus security deposit for the weekend, you can dress from head to toe in Renaissance splendor, and for about $5 more, you can find the ultimate accessory. The school rents stage props, too. Rentals are available to schools, theatre companies, church groups, businesses and other organizations -- as well as zany individuals.

Best Dress-Up -- Kids' Division

Dolls and Kids Closet

What a treasure trove of costumes, toys and other accessories for let's-pretend play! And what a great place for kids to explore the creative side of dressing up themselves and their doll friends, with workshops, classes, playtime fun for tots and birthday-party packages. Dolls and Kids Closet also rents historical costumes for the little ones, as well as selling dolls, doll clothes, accessories, furniture, and everything you need for a full-fledged tea party for some of your favorite friends, stuffed or imaginary. Kids who make purchases with their own money, hard-earned or saved up, receive a 10 percent discount. Let's go!

Best Place to Find an Emergency Halloween Costume

Flossy McGrew's

Eleven months of the year, Flossy McGrew's blends right into a commercial stretch of South Broadway, another vintage-clothing shop among the funky fringe of Antique Row. But each October, the massive warehouse-like store becomes a must-stop destination for costume-happy shoppers who range from inspired and awestruck to panicked and overwhelmed, depending on the date and its proximity to Halloween. From sailor suits and authentic Victorian gowns to monkey masks and huge cowboy hats, Flossy's seems to have at least one of every kind of clothing article ever made. If you're not in a hurry, the place is a gas, whether you're just browsing or scouting the perfect outfit for the club, the concert or the PTA meeting.

Best Place to Buy a Man's Hat

Duncan's Men's Store

We're not talking ten-gallons here. This is the place to find a fine fedora, a happenin' homburg or a bitchin' beret, in felt, straw and the occasional canvas golf number -- anything that tops off your masculine attire. More than half of Duncan's business in the historic Five Points location (there's another at DIA) comes from men's hats, a particular passion of owner Curtis Washington and his legions of customers. Duncan's will help you get ahead.

Best Ladies' Slippers

Lula Maxine

Simple and elegant. Who wouldn't want to slip their tootsies into Denver-based Lula Maxine's handmade slippers? Square-toed, with a seam down their silk dupioni or woven plaid-and-houndstooth middles, they absolutely scream comfort. And they look great, too. The retail price tag can be a bit steep -- they range from around $50 to $100 a pair -- but this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of footwear, the kind you never want to take off. They're available online at www.lulamaxine.com, where you can also get a list of stores in the area that carry them. Lula Maxine, where have you been all our lives?

Best Place to Get Fleeced

Ouray Sportswear Factory Outlet

If you don't mind being a walking advertisement for a ski resort, the Ouray Sportswear Factory Outlet is the place to find a fleece jacket or vest that won't set you back the price of a lift ticket. The South Broadway store gets all of the surplus merchandise that its parent company, SCI (Ski Country Imports) produces for resorts all over the country, as well as carrying its own Ouray brand sportswear for those willing to spend a little more to avoid feeling like a billboard. The fleeces are thinner than the big-name brands, but since dressing in layers is the key to outdoor comfort, who cares? You'll also find good deals on shirts, pants and baseball caps, which are embroidered with corporate or recreation-area logos. But whatever you go there for, don't miss the dollar bin, which often contains must-have gear like neck gaiters, face masks and gloves. After outfitting here, you might actually be able to afford to go skiing.

Best Outdoor Gear Kits

Frostline Kits

Frostline Kits in Grand Junction manufactures high-quality, unassembled, winter gear kits. These kits include an instruction manual, cut-to-size fabric, down or other fill materials, and all the thread and finishing items needed to create a top-notch jacket. The only thing you have to do is provide the sewing machine and some time and labor. Because they do not sew your outdoor gear themselves, the savings trickle down to you. You can purchase a ladies' polar fleece jacket kit for $38 or a tundra jacket kit (a down-filled coat that is unbelievably warm) for $115. So sew.

Best Fishnet Long Underwear

Wiggy's Inc.

The sight of a brawny outdoorsman in fishnets may not turn you on, but it makes sense. Wiggy's Inc., a Grand Junction outdoor-outfitting company, has been making traditional supplies since 1986, and it sells some of the best long underwear in the world. The black or white nylon fishnet material is the best for wicking away moisture and keeping wearers warm. And if you buy these undies at their Grand Junction store, you can get 40 percent off. That's underwear, nearly half off.

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