Fashion

You and Me

2114B S. Lyndale Ave.

Nestled between the place where you buy a bong and the place you get loaded off of legendary Wondrous Punch (Clown Glass and The Red Dragon), newly openedboutique You and Me serves as a metaphoric beacon of virtue on a stretch of Lyndale Avenue run rampant with depravity.

T.S. Eliot may have been a closet fashionisto, because, man, was he right: When it comes to dressing yourself, April is definitely the cruelest month. Common seasonal sense tells us that fashion in the spring and summer is a whole lot more enjoyable than in the winter. I mean, think about what a drag it is to have to hide a fantastic outfit under the bulky layers of a parka when you go out. Not to mention dropping cash for the coat check.

The time is nigh to acknowledge the truth that fashion-forward ladies of Minneapolis have it pretty easy. The profusion of local women’s ready-to-wear designers makes for both a steady string of runway shows and also no small amount of boutiques catered solely to the female consumer. What woman hasn’t lusted over the perfect Arwyn Birch or Amanda Christine dress in the window of Cliché?

WHAT: U of M Senior Fashion Show, “Distortion”

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 19, 5 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Rapson Hall Courtyard, 89 Church St. SE

COST: $10-$25. VIP $50

Move over, Carlson. Believe it or not, the clothing design program is one of the most competitive programs offered at the University of Minnesota.

WHAT: Cliché’s Avoid the Grey Fashion Show

WHEN: Jan. 29, 3 p.m., 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: Old Arizona, 2821 Nicollet Avenue

COST: $15

What Elvis Presley and his intrepid pelvis were to millions of young gals in the ’50s, local clothing boutique, Cliché is to the Minneapolis fashion scene: the king. Fitting enough, the theme of their fifth annual Avoid the Grey runway show is “Jailhouse Rock.”

Since daylight savings time started, since seasonal affective disorder (SAD) set in, it’s hard to wake up in the morning and decide to dress like an active member of society. But it can be done without too much effort.

To some, winter means cashmere sweaters, knit scarves and pea coats. To others, it means sweatpants tucked into four-year-old Uggs and giving up on life entirely.

What: MNFashion Holiday Bazaar

When: November 13, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Where: MNFashion Atrium

Cost: $8.50 in advance, $10 door

People who call Minneapolis, “The Mini-Apple,” aren’t fooling anyone but themselves.