Being a twenty-one year old with only so much money in my pocket, downtown Aiken can be a pretty intimidating place to go shopping. Local stores and boutiques tend to have a reputation of being more pricey than bigger chain stores like Target.
I ended up taking myself downtown Aiken to investigate the stores of Laurens Street to see what I could buy without breaking the bank. I found that I have been blind to the affordable side of Aiken for far too long.
FOR THE LADIES
My first stop was Beyond Bijoux; a sweet little women’s clothing store on the Park side of Laurens. Store manager Amanda Derrick informed me that every item in Beyond Bijoux is under $49.00! I ended up buying a cute (and very comfortable) dress for $20.00, and a pair of earrings for $6.00.
FOR THE FELLAS
Next, I went to see the delightful gentlemen of Lionel Smith Ltd. for some budget shopping… yes, it is possible. For our Southern Tide lovers, they sell the comfortable and durable Southern Tide T-shirts for $38.00. If you were to make a trip all the way to Augusta or even order one online, the price of that same t-shirt you could buy right in your city would would potentially be more expensive after the gas you would use/ after shipping and handling.
I walked across the street to Return Engagement to broaden my search for men’s clothing. I came across a really nice pair of black dress pants (originally $165.00) for $41.00! What a steal!
FOR OUR HOMEY TOUCHES
To find items for a home (or a dorm) that are affordable, 3 Monkeys was my store of choice. I found some gorgeous stemless wine glasses with a metal stamp of any letter of the alphabet for only $16.00.
I found really cute and durable plates for a great deal as well! The salad plates are only $12.00, dinner plates are $14.00!
My last great find for the day was a pear shaped candle. These cute little candles are an affordable $6.00.
I am embarrassed. As an Aikenite, I have been purposefully avoiding shopping downtown due to false accusations by others and myself that it is too expensive. I can honestly say that I will be a regular shopper of downtown Aiken, and I encourage the people of Aiken to make an honest effort to support our downtown stores.
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