Finally! October is upon us, folks, and we’re beyond excited to update our closets, stock up on hosting essentials, and incorporate a few seasonal touches into our homes. In keeping with tradition, we scouted local Memphis shops for a fresh round of FINDS to welcome the new month. Three cheers for fall!
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
Handmade brass earrings
All of the jewelry sold at Collierville’s Be Free Revolution is handmade, and the proceeds support educational mission projects in Kenya. These particular earrings are hand-cut brass, made by Nepali refugee women right here in Memphis! They’re perfectly on-trend for the season — their earthy metallic sheen and geometric design pair just as beautifully with jeans and booties as with a little back dress. You can get these at Be Free Revolution for $28.
Brass earrings, $28, at Be Free Revolution | Image: Be Free Revolution
The coziest cardigan
Sweater season has ARRIVED, and we’re all about investing in staples that will see us through one season and into the next. Barefoot Dreams® products are notoriously soft, and this neutral, waffle-weave cardigan is one you’ll reach for again and again. It’s available at Dazzle for $148 in two colors.
Barefoot Dreams® cardigan, $148, at Dazzle | Image: Dazzle
Leather crossbody bag
A versatile, high-quality crossbody bag is an absolute wardrobe essential! With its high-gloss Italian cowhide construction and unique splash print, the Midi Sac by Clare V. has been a bestseller at Oak Hall for years. It’s just large enough to hold all of your essentials throughout the day, and thanks to its detachable strap, it can easily transform into a shoulder or top-handle bag to suit any occasion. Stop by Oak Hall to get yours, available for $335.
Leather crossbody bag, $335, at Oak Hall | Image: Oak Hall
Autumn-hued statement earrings
Made in Memphis, you can find these polymer clay statement earrings at Mucho, a local boutique with a Southwestern twist. You can find all kinds of colorful dresses, accessories, and home goods at Mucho, but these ochre and burnt orange earrings are perfect for October. They’re a steal at $22 a pair.
‘The Vista’ earrings, $22, at Mucho | Image: Mucho
Draped top
The “Pop Out” top from Linen Rose offers up elegant draping and shoulder pads for a hint of drama. It’s the perfect top for dressing up jeans, and it will layer beautifully under your favorite blazers and moto jackets on chillier days. It can be yours for $48.
Draped top, $48, at Linen Rose | Image: Linen Rose
Gold chain bracelet and necklace
This season, gold chains are having a moment. This chunkier take from Cheryl Pesce is available as both a bracelet and necklace. Both are 22 karat gold vermeil — the bracelet is $92 and the necklace is $158. Another pair of great pieces that fit in just as naturally with a pair of jeans as they will at a cocktail party!
RELATED: 16 Southern-Made Bags for Any Occasion
FOR ENTERTAINING
Colored glassware
We have a serious barware crush on Estelle Colored Glass for all seasons, but something about autumn begs for a backyard gathering, complete with the perfect cocktail hour set. These handblown stemless wine glasses, available at Southern Avenue Company for $30 each, come in seven stunning shades.
Estelle Colored Glass stemless glasses, $30 each, at Southern Avenue Company | Image: Southern Avenue Company
Rustic wooden serving boards
These rustic wooden serving boards are ideal for presenting snacks of all kinds, but they lend themselves particularly well to cheese and charcuterie boards, which are still very much the snack of the moment. These would also make a lovely base for a centerpiece of florals and a scattering of miniature pumpkins! They’re available in three sizes at RSVP Stationers: small for $56, medium for $84, and large for $110.
Wooden serving boards, $56-$110, at RSVP Stationers | Image: RSVP Stationers
Show-stopping cheese + charcuterie boards
Not in the mood to arrange your own cheese and charcuterie spread? Order one up from GREY’S Fine Cheeses! With a mere 48 hours’ notice, they’ll put together a gorgeous assortment of cheese, charcuterie, and various accompanying goodies like nuts, olives, and dried fruit. Their smallest boards serve two (for $50) and range all the way up to a board that feeds 20 (for $345).
Cheese and charcuterie boards, $50-$345, at GREY’S Fine Cheeses | Image: Instagram
Custom invitations
Whatever the occasion, start your soirée off in style with invitations perfectly tailored to your event. Ménage Stationery offers a variety of printing methods — letterpress, foil printing, flat printing, engraving, thermography, and blind embossing, each of which offers a unique finished product. Visit them at their brick-and-mortar location for custom pricing, or choose from a selection of gifts and stationery available for purchase in the shop!
Custom invitations, prices vary, at Ménage Stationery | Image: Ménage Stationery
Balloon art
And if you’re really going all out for your occasion, consider a custom balloon arch or garland, like the ones they specialize in at Connor & Co. on Poplar Avenue. (They also offer stunning custom event florals!) Pricing for balloon arches and garlands starts at $15 per foot.
Balloon garland, starting at $15 per foot, at Connor & Co. | Image: Ashley Benham Photography
Memphis bourbon caramel cake
Hubba, hubba! Our mouths dropped when we got a load of the gorgeous layer cakes baked up at Sugar Avenue Bakery (and shipped anywhere via Goldbelly). This one is made with Old Dominick and their Huling Station Bourbon. The six-inch cake ($75) serves six to eight guests, while the larger eight-inch cake serves 10 to 12 ($95).
Bourbon caramel cake, $75-95, from Sugar Avenue Bakery + Goldbelly | Image: Instagram
RELATED: Recipe: Southern Chocolate Cake with a Surprise Ingredient
HOME DECOR
Autumn-scented candles
Available at SB Shop, the line of seasonal candles from gold + ivy includes scents like folk, arc, moonlight, and the one pictured here — grey flannel. Hand-poured into amber glass vessels, this scent features notes of cedarwood, vanilla, and musk and has an impressive burn time of 45 to 50 hours. Get yours for $28.
gold + ivy candle, $28, at SB Shop
Whimsical state prints
Local Memphis artist Whitney Winkler offers a wide variety of beautiful prints and textiles at her shop on Hollywood Street, but we especially love her state-specific ‘grow here’ prints. This particular print is 11-by-14 inches, printed on medium-weight linen paper with metallic gold accents. It goes for $36.
‘Grow here’ print, $36, at Whitney Winkler | Image: Whitney Winkler
A blanket to cozy up to
SB Shop offers a variety of very special blankets. We think this one will travel beautifully from the sofa to the tailgate — perfect for keeping you warm on all occasions. As a bonus, this blanket from NEWLY is made of 100% recycled materials, but manages to be unbelievably soft. This cross pattern is just one of many available designs, up for grabs at $98 each.
NEWLY cross blanket, $98, at SB Shop
Flower brick
If you’re not familiar with the concept of a flower brick, it’s a type of vase with cut-outs in the top for holding flowers — and they’re a godsend, particularly if you struggle with flower arranging. Even if you’re an arranging whiz, you’ll want one of these original pieces from Bridgman Pottery. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes — some solid, some with prints. This tall brick comes in a white satin finish with a blue rose transfer, and it’s available for $65.
Tall flower brick, $65, at Bridgman Pottery | Image: Bridgman Pottery
Happy shopping, Memphis!
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