Eurostyle Your Life: Leslie Conti's new Fremont shop shows you how

It's not hard to become enamored by the European lifestyle. There's something so charming about the laid-back pace, the high standard of living and the way centuries-old traditions are still a part of everyday life.

Europe charmed Leslie Conti when she spent her junior year of college in Strasbourg, France and worked at a ski resort in Switzerland. A career in the insurance industry and three grown kids later, Conti has embarked on a quest to bring everything she loved about Europe to her new Fremont store, Eurostyle Your Life.

Conti considers four criteria when choosing a line for her shop. First, she avoids any company that employs third-world manufacturing. "It is too difficult as a small establishment to know with certainty that the working conditions are indeed fair trade," she explains. She is most interested in carrying products that are designed and manufactured in the same place, like the Dutch company Krejci, whose bags, backpacks and briefcases (from $88) are made out of the inner tubes of bike tires.

Second, Conti looks for eco-friendly products. Many of the items sold at Eurostyle Your Life are made from recycled goods. German company Convasco repurposes old sails into messenger bags, duffels, dop kits and purses (starting at $50), and Swiss company Natus makes belts from used bike tires ($68).

The third component on Conti's list is good design. Eurostyle Your Life is filled with unique and eye-catching products, including the Sciarpone, an innovative scarf/cape made out of soft Merino wool ($159) that can be worn as a scarf, cape, shrug or sweater. I can't wait to go back and buy one for myself; it's chic and functional -- a good way to describe many of the items sold at Eurostyle Your Life.

Last on the list is color. Conti admires how European shops use vibrant pops of color in their product staging and applies that to her own store. I was immediately drawn to a table set with felted wool placemats and coasters in vibrant primary colors (from $5).

I'm always on the lookout for stores that carry unique gift items, and I have a feeling Eurostyle Your Life will become my new ace in the hole.

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