Garb San Diego

I found GARB through the Living Social site and what a hidden gem! I treated my friend to a nice shopping/​food tour of Little Italy and Downtown during the Comicon event… great people watching! We both love to eat and shop, but fear expanding our horizons when it comes to fashion. We’re kind of Target/​Old Navy shoppers, and Macy’s on a daring day, so venturing out to local boutiques was a foreign experience. We both grew up in San Diego and it was nice to explore your own city in a different way. To start off, our guide, Travis, was such a delight. He was not afraid of sharing what looked good and didn’t look good on you. It was neat to try on stuff that I normally would not have tried, and I actually spent more on a dress than I ever have… thank goodness for the 25% GARB discount! The only unexpected thing was the food… or lack there of. The individual shops provided snacks that any college student living in a dorm could put together… triscuits and hummus, wafers, strawberries, chocolate-​covered almonds, wine, tea, and water. I guess I was expecting some gourmet bites. If you’re expecting delicious eats, go on the Bite San Diego food tour. If you’re expecting more fashion and some snacks and a great time… and lots of walking (about 3 – 4 miles), then this is the tour for you. One last thing, the tour mentions a treat at the end at Café 21. I was expecting lunch (provided by GARB), but when we got there the staff at Café 21 seemed to think they no longer provided treats to the tour group. Travis spoke to the staff and somehow worked it out so we were able to get a few appetizers brought out… eggplant fries and homemade potato chips. Although it was a little awkward, it all worked out.

Going on the Garb tour was an unexpected treat. My daughter asked me to join her and I had no expectations. I was treated to an afternoon of laughs, advice and shopping with great discounts!!! It was so nice to be brought to all of the unique boutiques. By the end I had sore feet and my arms full of bags. My only regret is thatI was so tired by the time we reached the last two boutiques, I didn’t have the energy to shop.

This tour was so much fun! I ended up finding some really unique, great pieces (necklaces, a dress and clutch) for a great deal (especially with the help of the 25% discount). I normally love boutique clothing, but don’t always want to pay the high prices. The shops we stopped in had a range of accessories and clothing that made it affordable for all. The tour does have a lot of walking and it does take several hours, so dress comfortably and don’t book anything too soon after the end of the tour. The last stop is Café 21 and it was nice to not be in a rush and get to enjoy the goodies they served. I would definitely recommend finding a girlfriend and going on this tour!

Beck creates a positive experience giving us ladies a new way to discover our city. Garb is a great concept… new places and new people…

I admit, I am a relunctant shopper for two main reasons:
1. I love shopping online, the convenience, the selection, the prices! (Amazon!!!)
2. I am 7 months pregnant and look like I swallowed a beach ball. Not in the mood to try on cute dresses.
Plus, I wasn’t sure about shopping with a bunch of women as I went on this tour by myself. I fear that I am developing a type of social retardation given how much of my life I spend in front of the computer.
But I did it because I have been on the Bite Tours, a sister company that does food tours in San Diego, and I really enjoyed it so given this invitation I decided to give it a try.
What was the net result?
Would do it again in a heart beat (as long as we went to new shops).
Here’s what I loved:
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1. The retailer shops are unique and I would have never gone to these on my own given that I live in La Jolla and work in Mission Valley. I just don’t hang out in these areas. I feel like I know San Diego a bit better know after this tour.
2. The special One Day Only discounts just for our group. I was browsing around liked a lot of stuff but when the owner reminded us that they were giving us a special one day only 25% discount, that made me grab the items and check out.
3. SURPRISED at that the reasonable prices (BE BEAUTY) and LOVED the variation in merchandise at some of these boutiques. I’m a retailer myself so I can really appreciate the work that these retailers put into their stores. Bravo San Diego Boutiques!!!
Although I was in no mood to buy clothes for me, there were CUTE kids /​baby clothes and home accessories that got me to buy. There was something for EVERYONE on this tour.
4. The stylist, Benjamin, guides you all through the tour and helps you with styling personal styling tips. Not only does he have great charisma but he really worked with all the ladies well in giving them feedback on what works well for them without being pushy or obnoxious. I would consider working with him independently for sure.
What you need to know:
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1. There is A LOT of walking. Whether you are pregnant or not, I recommend you bring comfy shoes or your cute shoes AND a pair of comfy Flip Flops.
2. This is pretty much an all day thing so don’t plan too much after. The last spot for ends at a Café /​Restaurant where you can rest your feet.
3. This is something fun to do with girfriends if you have the day open. Even though I went alone I met fun women. In fact, did a little bit of business talk with one and we exchanged cards. Wasn’t expecting that, but it was nice that it wasn’t in a business setting.
4. If you are prego or you get hungry quickly, might want to bring some snacks. Most of the retail shops provide some kind of nibbles and wine /​champagne. But it wasn’t enough for me and my belly.
Overall, loved the VIP treatment that we got from every retailer. I WISH WISH WISH all retailers would treat customers this way. I would shift my buying from online back to physical retail stores if this was the case. They were all so hospitable as if we were guests in their own home. Very cool way to shop.
Thanks Garb!

I did the Garb tour last Saturday. The day was cold and rain was imminent, and no one cared because we all had a blast! I ended up with a beautiful dress that I’m so excited to wear out, and I’d have never selected it on my own. The stylist, Benjamin, is delightful, knowledgeable and an instant BFF. He guided me into and out of some purchases, and his tips were spot on and very appreciated.
I loved that we had a generous discount at all the shops on the tour, and I also loved that each store’s price points were quite reasonable and not in designer price stratosphere. At almost every shop we were welcomed with treats: tea or wine, little snackables. The owners greeted us and gave us a little intro to their store. My favorite stops were Be Beauty and Vocabularie. I’d never have stumbled on to these shops on my own, and I’ll definitely be going back.
Two tips:
Try to park midway between the starting and ending points of the tour.
Wear comfy shoes because you WILL be walking.
Also loved:
The complimentary Garb bag.
The company! I was on my own and am normally a bit shy in groups but by the end of the tour everyone was talking and laughing.
Seeing a fashionable side to beautiful San Diego.
Ending up at the Café for a post tour drink & recap. Great way to end the day.

My girlfriend was visiting from out of town, so I thought this was the perfect Saturday to-​do that was «out of the norm» of our typical weekend conversation, beginning with, «so what should we do today?»
I’m so glad we did, because albeit a gloomy day, our stroll through Downtown and Little Italy was so much fun (and we went home with full shopping bags).
I have worked downtown for three year and was expecting to be familiar with ALL the stores on the garb tour. Much to my surprise, I had only (even hear of) two out of the seven. I couldn’t believe all these hidden gems right in my own work-​neighborhood.
I loved the first stop, be beauty, with the «secret garden» they invited us into and the special treats they provided to kick off our day. It was so neat having a manager or owner of each place give us the «inside scoop» on the shops — something you don’t get on your average visit.
The guide was fabulous and gave us some really great tips on fashion. :)
Also, getting a discount at every store was a MAJOR plus. We were much more compelled to purchase items, knowing that we would get a VIP Grab discount. So cool!
We had so much fun with everyone on the tour and loved that our last stop at Café 21 gave us a chance to sit, snack and refuel after a very successful day of shopping!

I had the good fortune of being invited to attend the inaugural Garb San Diego tour this weekend. Although there is a distinct possibility my did-​I-​brush-​today hairstyle and this-​is-​clean outfit choices had prompted the HINT HINT invite, I took at is a good opportunity to address my fashion emergency issues. Garb is a welcome addition to the San Diego market, highlighting local boutiques on an enjoyable walking tour led by a professional personal stylist. This is the perfect activity for a gaggle of gal pals — sorry boys, they don’t have a manly tour yet.
I personally have a huge interest in keeping it local — supporting local farmers, shops, etc. — so I appreciate the fact that Garb increases awareness of those hole in the wall boutiques you might never have known existed. Additionally, while the word «boutique» calls to mind women whose weekly shopping budgets are larger than the national debt, these stores keep it real with affordable offerings. To sweeten the deal even further, each shop offers a 25% discount to tour takers.
A professional stylist leads the tour, giving general tips in between stops and personalized advice once you’re in the stores. Whether you want to know your coloring or what accessories/​styles are best for your body, Garb’s stylist can point you in the right direction — that includes advising you if a particular item just isn’t fulfilling your rock star potential. Sometimes we all need an objective third party encouraging us to step away from the dress that makes us look like a festive eggplant.
The tour ends with a little treat at Café 21, one of my favorite restaurants downtown. It’s timely as there’s a good amount of walking on this adventure (Note: while you can buy sexy shoes, please do NOT wear your sexy shoes) and you’ll likely be ready to order a late lunch/​early dinner.
The three hour tour begins in Little Italy and ends downtown, so plan ahead and choose your parking or transportation wisely.
Treats (in addition to some edibles you also get an adorable Garb tote!), exercise, fashion advice, discounts, fabulous finds (my new favorite store — Be Beauty!) — Garb San Diego is a fantastic deal and a fun, unique alternative to the usual girly outings available in our fair city. Check it out!