Tootsies...The Grande Dame of Houston

7/17/2012 08:19:00 PM | Labels: Houston, Tootsies

When I first moved to Houston in 2009, I had of course heard of Tootsies. The store was located in Highland Village, on the south side of Westheimer between Suffolk and Drexel for three decades, and was where I had my first Tootsies experience. I had passed by the store many times on my way here or there, but never stopped.

Tootsies location in Highland Village, 2009 or 2010

In January 2010, Tootsies announced it was moving locations. At Kirby and Westheimer, a new mixed-use development space was underway and Tootsies was going to relocate to the prime retail space with large windows along Kirby and Westheimer. In September 2010, while driving down Westheimer, I glanced over at Tootsies and saw the windows. I immediately had to stop. There, in the windows of the store, was a beautiful, red, Alexander McQueen dress. Could it be? Could Tootsies be carrying my favorite designer?

Tootsies window, September 2010

I considered it a sign that I must stop since not only did they have a whole window dedicated to McQueen, but the dress was in my favorite shade: fire engine red. I went inside. The store had a fantastic selection of Alexander McQueen items, the largest selection of items and sizes I had seen in Texas.

Alexander McQueen section at Tootsies, September 2010

After getting my fill, I decided to look around and see what else they had. They had Elaine Turner handbags (a great, local Houston handbag and shoe designer whose flagship store I will cover later in the series), Tom Ford sunglasses (another weakness), and a really great selection of cocktail and formal dresses. It was love at first visit. Unfortunately, it would be many months until I could make it back to Tootsies and actually have my first shopping experience.

West Ave was completed and in early 2011 Tootsies began its moving sale. The sale got off to a rocky start, but by the time I made it to the sale, everything seemed to be fine and I learned a valuable lesson about Tootsies' sales...go early or the best stuff and a lot of sizes will be gone. While I was able to find fantastic Tory Burch and Elie Tahari dresses at 70% off retail, things were pretty picked over. The staff was extremely helpful and accommodating, even though they were busy. Right then and there I vowed I would be back after they made the move.

A very short time later, in February 2011, Tootsies had made the move and the new West Ave store was open. The photos of the new space were stunning. I finally made it down to see for myself in March 2011 where for my belated birthday present, I bought myself a stunning white, Alexander McQueen bustle shirt/shirtdress. As with my first shopping experience, the staff was amazing and really made the experience all the more enjoyable.

My first Alexander McQueen purchase from Tootsies
(Photo from the Alexander McQueen website)

Since that trip in March 2011, I make an effort to stop in every couple of weeks to see what all is new. I am continually impressed with the selection of Alexander McQueen they carry in the store. I am also impressed with the number of special events they host, including designer visits and trunk shows. The latest list is found on the website and they keep their Facebook and Twitter accounts up to date. In recent months, some of the more memorable open to the public events included the Sequin trunk show (my favorite enamel bangle bracelets), a launch of an exclusive line for Tootsies by Elaine Turner, and the Philip Treacy trunk show. In addition, Tootsies hosts a number of private events for various organizations and charities in the Houston community, both in their store and out in the community.

Ultimately, I have never had a bad shopping experience at Tootsies. I have always been able to find what I am looking for, am always pleased with the selection, and love the Tootsies team. Tootsies is located at 2601 Westheimer and also has stores in Dallas and Atlanta.