SouthPark's Fountain Court, circa, 1998
Insider column, Charlotte Observer
Shoppers [including yours truly] have been debating in the Observer's pages whether SouthPark's luxury transformation has turned it a bit snooty. So Ernest Perry, owner of jewelry store Perry's at SouthPark, decided to put the mall to the test.
Responding to a recent column suggesting underdressed shoppers would feel out of place amid Nordstrom, Tiffany and other high-end stores, he donned a pair of bib overalls and wandered to stores including the posh Louis Vuitton and St. John boutiques.
"They all said they would be delighted to welcome anyone that might want to shop there in their bib overalls -- or any other matter of dress that is legal," Perry said in an e-mail to the Insider.
Of course, the Big I suspects that Perry's widely recognizable mug might have gotten a more hospitable reaction among fellow retailers than the average shopper could expect.
It remains to be seen whether the bib-overall crowd will feel at home at SouthPark, or perhaps turn elsewhere for shopping on those dressed-down days.
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