Diamond in the rough

Newbury Street sparkle at Allston-Brighton prices

by Leslie Robarge

If there are still any doubts that Allston is going upscale, Pixi Accessories should lay them to rest. First there was the jazz nightclub Wonder Bar, a place so spiffy its phone number incorporates the word COOL. Now there's a store to buy whatever you need to outfit yourself for an evening there -- just look for the electric-blue neon sign across the street.

Admittedly, Pixi doesn't look like much on the inside: its spare white walls and old cream-color linoleum floor are accessorized mainly by Big Mouth Billy Bass, the ubiquitous kitschy wall hanging. Right now, says owner Sang Kim, she still needs the landlord's approval before she can make any major changes.

Still, this is one of the neighborhood's only fashionable clothing stores for women. Since it opened in June on a strip dominated by Chinese groceries and Japanese video stores, it's managed to grab a steady clientele of college students and young professionals with a mix of funky, reasonably priced clothes and jewelry. A brown-gingham polyester button-down shirt with matching skirt goes for $54 -- try finding those prices on Newbury Street. There are also sparkly retro lamé outfits (like a fuschia and navy diagonally striped evening dress for $45), casual long-sleeved T-shirts ($20), and accessories galore -- sunglasses (most around $20), fake hair-extension hair ties ($6.99) and clips ($24), and an extensive line of jewelry that includes faux jewels, gold and silver chain necklaces, and bracelets ($11 to $24).

Lisa Song, 21, a Los Angeles native who works at Pixi part-time, thinks the store's appeal lies not only in its location -- dead center in a student-dominated neighborhood -- but also in its selection of brands that are hard to find in chain stores. If you spot something you like, she advises, it's best to move fast: "Things come in and out of here so quick, we have trouble keeping [inventory] up."

Pixi Accessories is located at 175 Harvard Avenue in Allston. Call (617) 782-1150.

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