One of the most fun perks of the engagement season? Picking out the perfect items for your registry – things that will fill your home, make life easier and become part of your story! Engagement season also happens to fall during peak holiday shopping season, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite local gift and registry shops that can help with both. This holiday season, stop by these Oklahoma retailers to explore their incredible registry options, but also to knock out some holiday shopping with their wonderful selection of locally sourced and unique goods!

Tulips

At Tulips, the philosophy is all about meshing long-standing traditions with the modern distinction of today’s homes and homeowners. Their specialties? Bed, bath and tabletop – you’re sure to find refined goods for dining and entertaining, refreshing your bedding, stationery, jewelry, accessories and more.

Sandstone Avenue

Known for their custom wooden signage and decor, Oklahoma-owned Sandstone Avenue is a go-to for holiday gifts and baby gifts, and their team loves to help couples create something special for their wedding day and beyond. From custom name signs to unique pieces for the home, Sandstone Avenue is a must-see local option for gifting and for wedding day prep!

Plenty Mercantile

A staple in downtown Oklahoma City, Plenty Mercantile exists to provide life and style products that convey a strong sense of origin, process, and authenticity. Throughout the holiday season and all year long, you’ll be amazed at the cool finds and gifts Plenty offers, and to make it easy on your out-of-town wedding guests, friends can view and purchase gifts from your registry online, too.

No Regrets

While known for their custom stationery design services, No Regrets also offers a curated selection of gifts – sentimental items for loved ones, the perfect gift for friends – and plenty of options to add to your wedding registry! Stop by during the holidays to start your ultimate gift registry and take care of several things at once!

Photo: The Scout Guide OKC

Paper + More

It says it right there in the name – paper and MORE truly does mean more! Yes, their stationery and design services are known throughout the state, but their store carries collections aimed at brightening your home with elegant, handcrafted lifestyle pieces. Whether you’re picking something out for a holiday gift or adding it to your wedding registry for later, Paper + More wants to make the process easier and delight you every time.

Bebe’s

For more than 20 years, Bebe’s has featured a selection of heirloom-quality china as part of one of OKC’s most popular registry options. Bebe’s also carries an impressive lot of gifts, jewelry, and home decor suitable for any occasion. Stop in for Christmas gifts you won’t find anywhere else and let the Bebe’s team help you create the perfect registry to start you off on the right foot as you begin a new chapter!

BC Clark

You know them for their amazing jewelry, but don’t forget, BC Clark is more than just diamonds – they can take you from engagement all the way into married life with their selection of home goods and decor, fine dinnerware, furniture and even goods for the garden and outdoors. Make a date of it with your sweetheart as you come in and peruse all the amazing goods – you make check a few things off your holiday gift list, too!

Culinary Kitchen + Home

A one-stop-shop in OKC for all things kitchen and home, Culinary Kitchen offers 12,000 square feet of Oklahoma-purveyed goods, personalized gifts and all kinds of home decor. You’re sure to find a one-of-a-kind gift option for that hard-to-shop-for friend or family member, and while you’re there, add items to your wedding registry you’ll love having in your home for years to come!

Need a gift for the bride-to-be in your life? There’s nothing better than her very own copy of Brides of Oklahoma magazine! Order the Fall/Winter 2019 issue here, and be on the lookout for the Spring/Summer 2020 pre-order link to go live in just a few weeks!

It’s no secret we’re well on our way into prime engagement season. Brides all around will soon be opening pretty little boxes to find bright, shiny gems and saying yes to forever. If you’re planning on getting down on one knee soon, or hoping to be on the receiving end, have you checked out the options at your local jeweler? We love nothing more than supporting Oklahoma businesses, and these hometown jewelers are no exception: not only do they offer incredible diamonds and settings to swoon over, their level of service is impeccable and unmatched by any chain jeweler out there. Take a look below at some of Oklahoma’s best local jewelers and RING in the holidays with the perfect diamond! Just one step closer to the easiest YES ever!

Kelley Jewelers

Photo: Emily Nicole Photo

With the largest selection of diamonds in Western Oklahoma and the majority of their selection manufactured here in the USA, Kelley Jewelers in Weatherford has been trusted by Oklahomans since 1931. They offer a lifetime warranty on all of their rings, so you can rest assured you’re buying an heirloom that will last.

Jay’s Jewelry

Photo: Hope Photography

For 70 years, Jay’s Jewelry in Chickasha has been a go-to local jeweler. They are so passionate about quality, they guarantee full satisfaction on every ring they sell and they are self-proclaimed “obsessed” with quality. Work with Jay’s to pick out the perfect diamond and setting, or design something completely custom and unique to you!

BC Clark Jewelry

Photo: Holly Gannett Photography

As Oklahoma City’s top choice for designer rings and a vast selection, BC Clark has been proud to offer top quality rings at competitive prices since 1892. That’s right – for more than 120 years, they’ve been outfitting Oklahoma brides with gorgeous rings they’ll love for a lifetime. With their signature “Pray for Rain” program that could potentially cover the cost of your ring and an entire store full of options for your registry, it’s no wonder brides love BC Clark!

Jewels by Simpson

Photo: Emily Nicole Photo

As a proud local jeweler in Edmond, Jewels by Simpson prides themselves on going above and beyond to find exactly what you’re looking for (or perhaps what you didn’t know you wanted) within your means. Their goal is to earn your trust, respect and loyalty from the moment you walk into the store. Jewels by Simpson wants to be the store that not only helps you find an engagement ring, but grows with you as a couple into the future.

Naifeh Fine Jewelry

Photo: Carsyn Abrams Photography

As a woman-owned local Oklahoma City business, Naifeh Fine Jewelry specializes in custom designs, cutting edge technology and service centered on honoring your story. If you’re looking for something you might not see elsewhere – a truly unique option to celebrate your love – Naifeh can help you find or create it.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but if you’re anything like us, that extra indulgence (turkey and pecan pie, anyone?) may still be hanging around. If you’re a 2020 bride or just want to get in better shape throughout the holiday season in preparation for spring and summer, you’ve got to check out a Pure Barre class! This method is one of our favorite ways to get in a great workout. Pure Barre is unlike any other barre class and really, unlike any other workout!

These classes offer an effective way to change your body over a relatively short period of time. At each 55-minute class, you’ll get quality instruction from a trained pro with low impact yet high intensity moves targeting your thighs, arms, abs and rear end. Pure Barre’s focus is not only on helping you achieve noticeable results, but in fostering an uplifting, positive and FUN environment! Even better? Brides can unlock special package pricing for all those pre-wedding workouts.

So whether you’re in Tulsa or central Oklahoma, come try out a class at our Tulsa Midtown or Edmond locations. Transform your body with toning and tightening, feel good about yourself over the holidays and most importantly, have fun doing it!

Photos courtesy of Pure Barre Edmond

THE SCENE: A Wedding Consultation

Groom: So, I really want something that looks modern & well tailored.

Hands wedding professional an iPhone with an image saved from Pinterest.

Wedding Professional: Looking at image. Ah! Very nice! This looks like a Tom Ford suit that Bradley Cooper wore for the Oscars. Great taste.

Groom: Yep! I just really like the way it looks.

Wedding Professional: Of course. Very well done suit. We pride ourselves in accommodating just about any budget. What did you have in mind for this suit.

Groom: I was thinking somewhere around $100 to $150.

Wedding Professional: ….uh.

The scene above is not an uncommon conversation. There seems to be a disconnect in the relationship between value and quality when it comes to menswear. It’s so easy to search for looks on Pinterest, Google, Instagram or even Brides of Oklahoma. Many times on the women’s side of the wedding industry, the ladies generally understand that runway caliber design comes at a price. I haven’t seen the same understanding applied on the men’s side. Many grooms assume a Bradley Cooper designer look can be created for their $150 budget. Unfortunately, it just isn’t possible. So, let’s talk about it and see if we can bridge the gap briefly by discussing 4 key qualities of a men’s suit or tuxedo that can affect the price.

(guest post by EVERYMAN)

Photo: Aiming Arrow Photography

Fabric

Like any product, what it is made of matters. For a suit or tuxedo, you generally have two primary options. Synthetic material or natural material. There are hybrid materials that blend the synthetic with natural. Get into the habit of asking what the garment is made of. On most off the rack suits this can simply be found by looking at the tag inside the left breast pocket.

Most suits in your average department stores or mass merchandisers will carry exclusively synthetic or synthetic blends. Look for words like Polyester, Rayon, Poly-Rayon or Polyester/Silk Blend. Remember, these fabrics are easier to make because the material is literally made from chemicals. This ease of fabrication lowers the price point. A suit made of cotton or wool costs more because there is intrinsically more labor involved in producing the material. 

DISCLAIMER: You can look great in a polyester suit! Especially on a budget, blended suits have come a long way is both style and construction. Most important is that you know what you’re buying.

Pros of Synthetic Material: Value Priced & Widely Available

Pros of Natural Material: Breathable Higher Quality Fabrics

Construction

Tires. They are all round. They are all made of rubber. They all go on cars. However, the way they are constructed can greatly affect the price. So, how is a suit constructed? Two primary ways: fused canvas and floating canvas. Let’s not get into the weeds here. Think about your suit as having an inner layer and an outer layer. With a fused canvas, the inner layer and the outer layer are stuck together, usually through a heat process this makes the suit feel like a solid piece of fabric. With a floating canvas the inner layer and outlier are not stuck together. They are joined by being sewn together, usually along seams, but the majority of the fabric inside floats underneath the exterior fabric.

Pro’s of Fused Canvas: Value Priced & Widely Available

Pro’s of Floating Canvas: The Drape of the Suit on the Body

Fit

This one is fairly simple. The more specifically a garment is made, the more it costs. On one end of the spectrum you have off the rack suits, and on the other end you have bespoke.

Thought Exercise: If I am a suit manufacturer and I’m making a suit for a gentlemen who measures to a 40R coat, I’m going to create a suit that I believe will accommodate MOST 40R measurements. This means my 40R will NOT fit some men who measure to a 40R, and it also means for the gentlemen who it does fit that there may be sacrifices being made in other areas of fit. I can speak with certainty that I’ve measured hundreds of men, and even if they share a chest size, their body measurements and body types are ALL different.

Fit Tip 1

More and more off the rack brands are including different fits in their lines. They all use different nomenclature. For example, in one line in my store their regular cut suit is called the “Taylor Fit,” and their more tapered fit is called the “Savvy Slim.” Another line simply calls their regular cut a “2 Button” while their tapered is called “Euro Slim.”

Fit Tip 2

If you can afford to create a custom piece it’s always the BEST way to get the most accurate fit. However, we can’t all afford that luxury. Just be aware that within a certain brand there is most likely multiple fits. Know what you are buying.

Fit Tip 3

Most suits can be tailored. Find a great tailor and make a classic fit suit more tapered.

Brand

Great suiting brands have built a reputation because of the quality of the suits they create. Keep in mind, manufacturers have costs outside of just building a suit. Advertising costs, marketing, retail store programs and percentages back to designers can all add costs to a reputable brand. Couple these costs with the fabric, construction and attention to fit these makers put into their suits and you begin to understand the implications of the retail cost to the consumer.

Click here for a list of the top 40 suiting brands for men. Even better, find a local independently owned suiting operator and start building a relationship you can trust.

So… Bradley Cooper. That suit you want to snag was probably made of a very high end wool. It was constructed using a full canvas construction and perhaps even sewn by hand. It was made specifically for Bradley by taking extensive measurements and going through an elaborate fitting process. It was created by a reputable designer with years of experience and expertise. The suit rightfully costs thousands of dollars. My hope is that now you know why.

A great suiting store can help you navigate this sometimes difficult to understand industry. I am happy to work with any gent, on any budget, to create a stunning look they can feel confident in. Admittedly, this post is just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to stay tuned. In my next blog post I’ll chat about some cheats, hacks and insider tips to get the look you are trying to create for your wedding day at a price that makes sense for the budget.

J Bryson Baker is the founder of www.everymanshop.com and owns and operates EVERYMAN. EVERYMAN is based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, but also operates in the Oklahoma City area. They specialize in barbering, suiting, custom clothing, rentals and all things wedding.