Holiday Shopping Around Campus: Part I
December 5, 2006, Volume 53, No. 14	Print Issue

Start or finish your holiday shopping right here on campus. Below is just a sampling of stores both on campus and beyond that offer a range of items from everyday essentials to one-of-a-kind treasures. For your convenience the stores are grouped by categories. For those who would rather shop online, the stores’ websites are listed, if available. See next week’s issue for Part II.

Accessories

The full-service optical shop, Modern Eye, features eyewear from many popular designer brands, such as Prada, Bellagio and Paul Frank. The shop also offers full professional eye care and boasts eccentric, unique eye wear, perfect for the holiday season. See www.modern-eye.com for coupons.

University Jewelers offers discounted jewelry items and personal service to its customers. They feature watches and other fine jewelry for low prices. This holiday season, they’re offering free gift-wrapping and have extended their hours to open on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

You can find footwear for all ages at The Natural Shoe Store, which offers a great array of boots, shoes and slippers. The store also features men’s, women’s and kids’ shoes, as well as vegan styles and various types of accessories. Stop by and take advantage of their winter sale, with slashed prices on comfortable, stylish and socially conscious footwear.

Apparel & More

The Gap offers fashionable gifts for men and women. For the cold-weather season, they feature such items ranging from jeans and sweaters to tote bags and cosmetics to hats and scarves. Save 15% off of your purchase when you open a GapCard account. The store also offers a new line for a good cause, just in time for the holiday season. Half of all profits from the Gap’s ‘Red’ line will be donated to the Global Fund to help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. Shop online www.gap.com.

If you’re searching for holiday gifts that evoke classic beauty and fashion, Ann Taylor LOFT is the place to look. You can find stylish women’s apparel for nearly every occasion, whether for work, a casual event, or an evening gala. The store even offers unique gifts like a sequined MP3 case or a beaded velvet jewelry box. Plus, save up to 60% on sale items. Ann Taylor LOFT even has a petites section, to ensure a perfect fit. Shop online at www.anntaylorloft.com.

Urban Outfitters features modern and retro apparel, accessories and shoes for the young men and women on your list. The store also offers electronic gifts like music, cameras, and iWoofer iPod speakers. On sale this season are fun holiday ornaments and Christmas trees of all sizes, such as a 12-inch mini shiny pine, two for $12, or a cheeseburger ornament for $10. Urban Outfitters also offers gifts for the home and dorm room, such as wall décor, rugs and dinnerware. Shop online at www.urbanoutfitters.com.

American Apparel is a self-described youth-directed company, and it’s the perfect place to shop for comfortable fashion-forward gifts. This LA-based shop boasts vertically integrated manufacturing and features all type of leisure wear for guys, gals and kids, including wholesale t-shirts, leggings, sweatshirts and casual dresses. Also, check out their Sustainable Edition, which offers styles in certified organic cotton. Shop online at www.americanapparel.net.

Bath and Beauty

Douglas Cosmetics is a one-stop shopping experience for fun and useful stocking stuffers or a sweet smelling way to tell someone you love them. With miniature toothpastes in many flavors, a wide array of hair care products and hundreds of nail polish options, practical and fun stocking stuffers can be found here. Also, for the more exquisite senses, perfumes and fragrances for men and women can be purchased from all the top brands, including Lacoste, Dior, Chanel, Polo, Clinique and Lancôme, starting at just $15 for Tommy Hilfiger. Douglas offers free gift wrapping, free shipping for purchases over $50 to any location within the continental U.S., and there are always beauty advisors who can provide “unbiased, expert advice on the latest trends.” Information: www.douglascosmetics.com.

Joseph Anthony Salon offers gift certificates in any denomination to pamper your loved ones this holiday season. A woman’s haircut is only $29, and a man’s $19. Tanning packages are available as well, offering customers 10 sessions for $50 or 25 sessions for $100. Manicures and pedicures are also available. Information: (215) 222-9252.

The Saturn Club Hair Salon & Coffee Shop, conveniently located next to the Black Cat,  is a great atmosphere to give the gift of a new hairstyle and cut while you relax with a nice cup of coffee. The Saturn Club regularly offers discounts such as $3 off haircuts, $10 off highlights, and $1 off a purchase at the coffee shop. Additionally, this holiday season you can get a 10% discount on gift certificates.

VOG International is located in the Left Bank building on the edge of campus, but boasts sister locations in Paris, Brussels and Dubai. The salon currently offers gift certificates and hair care products for all types of coifs. New students and clients can receive a haircut, shampoo, and deep conditioning treatment for $45. Information: (215) 222-1233.

Books and News

House of Our Own bookstore offers new, used and out-of-print books in a cozy, intimate setting. Decorated for the season in traditional Victorian style, House of Our Own offers something for everyone, from the classics and poetry, to books on art and current affairs. December brings discounts on most hardcover titles including The Zuni Café Cookbook ($15) and Dreams of Peace and Freedom ($25). Come peruse their extensive collection of “decorated cover” volumes while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie! Holiday hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.

The Last Word bookstore offers a wide range of second-hand books at prices 40%-60% below retail price. Later this month, the bookstore will be moving to new quarters at 220 S. 40th Street next to Ben & Jerry’s.

For gifts with a worldly flair, Avril 50 offers a broad selection of international items including foreign—and domestic—periodicals and journals. In addition, they feature a large selection of gourmet coffees (from $5.75 per 1/2 lb.), loose teas (from $4.50 per 1/4 lb.), cigars, and chocolates. Calendars and festive stationary make great presents and festive holiday cards round out an eclectic gift selection.

The Penn Book Center combines the cozy atmosphere of a small bookstore with an enormous selection of titles to provide a comfortable (and productive) shopping experience. With titles grouped by topic into convenient, specialized sections, the Book Center offers something for any interest with such diverse titles as The Beatles and Philosophy ($17.95) and How to Eat Around the World ($12.95). Check out their Travel Narratives section—voted best in the city—or the new section on religion and politics. The Book Center also carries a wide array of fiction, children’s and history books that make great gifts. The clearance table at the front of the store also holds some great bargains including the full-color hardcover Extreme Weather ($14.95).

The Penn Bookstore is the place to find gifts for the entire family this holiday season. The “Best of Penn 2006” collection and bargain books, including holiday cooking books for less than $15, are some of the features you can choose from. Plus, the 25% off sale on Penn apparel lets you shop for everyone on your list. The Bookstore even has Penn dog food bowls and leashes—so Fido’s not left out of the holiday fun. Wrap up your shopping and save at the Penn Bookstore Holiday Sale. Stop by December 14 & 15 to browse through a wide selection of classic holiday gifts, enjoy free gift wrapping and receive 20% off all Penn insignia merchandise and general books. Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, hot apple cider and holiday desserts, 4-6 p.m. throughout the store.

Penn Museum Publications is offering a 50% discount on books purchased through their website, now through January 15, 2007. New books include Closely Observed by photographer Andrea Baldeck, and Etruscan Myths and Legends by Nancy Thomson deGrummond, a professor at Florida State University. Be sure to plug in “HG6” when you visit the Publications shopping cart for any of the books on sale. Shop online at www.museum.upenn.edu/new/publications/index.shtml.

Penn Pride

Want to show your Penn pride? Purchase items online through Shop@Penn for customized Penn products, including apparel, athletic gear, luggage and other accessory items. Check out The Penn Collection for scarves, neckties and note cards, or have products designed according to school, graduating class, or favorite Penn team. Currently on sale is Penn Holiday Fan Pack which includes a Tommy Hilfiger blake fleece crewneck in navy, a red sandwich bill hat, and a two-tone conference tote in black/navy, all for $49.95, 45% off the regular price. See www.shopatpenn.com/.

The Penn Bookstore also offers gift baskets of Penn-branded merchandise available in three price ranges. The simple “Red & Blue” basket features an assortment of Penn memorabilia while the “Penn Basket” is filled with premium gifts, or customers can customize their own basket. Convenient basket pick-up at the Penn Bookstore, or on-campus delivery at no extra charge. The Penn Bookstore also sells Penn-branded merchandise including apparel, picture frames, cards and stationary, and jewelry, which will be on sale December 14 & 15.