[caption id="attachment_867" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Marinela in front of her boutique Paradise Garage "]<img class="size-full wp-image-867" title="Paradise Garage" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dsc07129.jpg" alt="Marinela in front of her boutique Paradise Garage " width="500" height="375" />[/caption]

Maybe six weeks ago on my way to meeting friends at JJ Murphy's (yes, the Irish pub), I walked by a great shop in Sofia--Paradise Garage.  It was closed and I made a mental note that I wanted to go back and check it out during the day.  Well, it took me about four weeks to get back there and when I did I took my friend R. with me.  We were not disappointed.

Paradise Garage is a local boutique that sells the clothing and jewelry of young Bulgarian designers (and occasionally a young Macedonian designer as well).  The boutique is 4 years old and generally carries the pieces of 4 to 5 different designers.  This is enough variety that you'll surely find something that you love and the best part is that there isn't anything pretentious about the store.

The clothes and jewelry are well displayed but it's not the kind of boutique that only has a few pieces out.  The shop owner Marinela is twenty-something and speaks both English and Bulgarian, she plays great music, and is happy to talk to you about the designers, her shop and current fashions.  She is in a word: affable.

She also has a great sense of style and design.  Clearly she's got an eye for it.  Her shop is a mix of the old (a Victorian inspired love seat) and the new (the bright green wall and deconstructed clothing racks).  She's picked out great designers to work with.  I would categorize the clothes and jewelry in Paradise Garage as urban street.  There are no pastels to be found (thank-you!), the shapes are clean and the styles are well made, completely wearable and reasonably priced.  <!--more-->

[caption id="attachment_869" align="alignright" width="300" caption="R. inside Paradise Garage"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-869" title="R in Paradise Garage" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dsc06250.jpg?w=300" alt="R. inside Paradise Garage" width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

Don't quote me on this but I think that the jewelry starts out at about 20 leva, the tops range between 30 and 60 leva and dresses seem to start at about 59 leva. As a foreigner these prices seem very low for a locally designed and handmade, nearly, one of a kind piece.  Additionally, I would add that these prices are competitive with the big names stores on Vitosha Blvd.  However, what you don't get from these stores is outstanding costumer service and the individuality that comes with clothing that is created locally.

Marinela and I talked about this.  I love having clothing with style and personality.  I don't ever want to look like someone else well, unless they have great style like Marinela for example.  This week when I was in her shop she was wearing an adorable skirt belted with a tucked in cotton tee and a white scarf.  She looked very pulled together and when I asked if I could take her picture outside of her shop she put on a fitted black jacket and topped of the look with blue sunglasses (see the first photo).

She told me that the girls who shop at Mango, Benetton and a range of other chain stores on Vitosha look like a long line of matching bedside tables.  I can't agree more.  And I got a great kick out of her metaphor.  There's something so ordinary, boring and necessary about a bedside table.  The very opposite of what most of us are looking for when we're shopping: exciting, interesting and unique.

I want to buy clothes that make my heart beat a little faster when I see them and give me that same rush when I get them home.  I want to smile when I see them hanging in my closet and when I am wearing them.  Marinela's shop gives me that feeling.

The one draw back is that one of the designer's clothing runs a little bit on the small size.  In American sizes, I would guess size two to size six maybe size eight.  I think that this is fine for most of the tiny Bulgarian women I see running around but I am nearly 6 feet tall and I wear a size ten dress and at twelve in jeans.  I am by no means tiny.

But get this, Marinela was up front about the fact that the designer makes the clothes for her shop in small sizes (which is probably smart if you want to sell your designs) and then she told me that if I saw something I liked she'd take my measurements, a description of the piece (or pieces) that I liked and tell the designer.  What?! No way.

So she ran next door, borrowed a tape measure and took my measurements. I told her which designs I liked and which colors/patterns/fabrics I liked and now I have to wait.  And I am not really good at waiting.  Luckily, I know it will be worth it.

Want to check out Paradise Garage? It's one block off Vitosha Blvd on Karnigradska and one block before JJ Murphy's (in Sofia, Bulgaria).