Shopping
Store spotlight: Southern Exposure
Finding cowboy boots in Texas is as easy as finding pizza in Italy. But what about in Connecticut, where the only horses are at the polo match?
Southern Exposure, which recently celebrated its 15th year in the town of Mystic, is the only local destination where a Connecticut Yankee can slip on a pair of Luccheses or shop for authentic Native American art and jewelry from the Southwest.
"We are very much an anomaly," says owner Les Lupovich, though he never doubted there was a market for Western and Southwestern products in the Nutmeg State. "My wife, Lyn, and I were so taken by them during our visits to the Southwest that we knew there had to be other people who were just as excited."
From Navajo rugs to Pendleton blankets, rustic pine furniture to Hopi kachinas, and Minnetonka moccasins to boots from Old Gringo, Southern Exposure provides a gateway to the desert Southwest.
On one recent buying trip, Les and Lyn returned from New Mexico with clothing and collectibles from the Zuni and Santo Domingo pueblos, as well as from Santa Fe, Gallup, and Albuquerque.The couple's travels result in a steady supply of one-of-a-kind items to fill both the Mystic shop and a second location in Westbrook, Connecticut.
Les admits he is often tempted to keep a few of the best finds off the shelves.
"After 15 years, it's still something we have to fight on each trip when we find something and think, This would look great in my collection."
• Info: 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, Connecticut, 860.572.1007, www.shopsouthernexposure.com
Issue: October 2009
