anytime i have anything vaguely stressful to do in manhattan (and every possible reason i might have to go to manhattan is stressful), i wind down afterwards by going shopping. i don't always buy things (though i buy a lot more than i need), but it is very soothing to touch all the different fabrics and think about the future.
so here is your trend report (click through if you dare):
1. double gauze!
this beautiful double-layered cotton is everywhere at muji and uniqlo, even at madewell, and of course at ace&jig (which i can't afford, but it's nice to think about). it's two delicate pieces of cotton, often with a distinct pattern on either side, woven together. favorites: here, here, here.
2. indigo!
of course. i don't know if indigo was ever out of fashion, and now it is completely pervasive. j. crew has tons of beautiful "adire" indigo. uniqlo has that "pure blue japan" stuff. american apparel has this special sweatshirt. and urban outfitters has the hippie version.
3. holographic materials!
i effing love this trend. there were those holographic nikes i saw on the subway that i imported into a short story because they were so magical. there were the miista holographic oxfords. now topshop is offering some cool ones, here and here. you can buy holographic purses and wallets and bags too, and tops printed with holographic foil. evie bought this iphone case with dazzling holographic glitter that MOVES WHEN YOU TIP IT. (i search for keyword "holo" or "hologram"--"holographic" doesn't always work. even "metallic" sometimes reveals exciting new rainbowy finds.)
other favorite trends: joggers, dusters/capes/ponchos, profoundly loose dresses (yusss), long jumpsuits, and shift dresses wherein a simple shape contrasts with many architectural seams.
and, some (embarrassing) top tips for manhattan affordable chain-store shopping:
-madewell and j. crew have a significant in-store student discount, which applies even to clothes that are already on sale
-j. crew boys' size "k7" is a woman's 9...so you can get a solid deal on suede desert boots, for example
-the soho urban outfitters (houston and broadway) has by far the best urban outfitters sale section in manhattan, because they sell lots of nice brands that won't fall apart instantaneously, unlike kimchi and blue. recently, i found a st. james striped top and a baggu suede pouch with moons and stars on it.
-if the soho uniqlo doesn't have what you want, it might be at the giant uniqlo on 53nd street! the latter is the biggest uniqlo in the world--89 thousand square feet.
-if you want brand-name clothes, the beacon's closet at 13th street has a bewildering assortment--yesterday i went there and found philip lim, thakoon, and a beautiful kenzo jacket, all for less than $40. a quick way to spot the fancier pieces is to check the price tags. pretty much anything over than $25 has good reason to be.
-some of the h&m stores in manhattan (not in brooklyn) carry the slightly fancier line called "h&m trend" (look for the pale pink tags). i bought all the dresses i wore to weddings last year at h&m trend. they have stuff as beautiful as anthropologie for half the price.
-do you know about the american apparel "warehouse" at lafayette near prince? i was distressed to learn (far behind the times) that the stuff you buy at a gap or j.crew factory store is shittier quality, made to be sold at a lower price. but at the american apparel factory store, it's their normal styles and merchandise. some of the pieces do have noticeable blemishes (slightly assymetrical, dangling threads, whatever), but a lot of them are just overstock. i got my winter coat there, a blue leather bag, and one of those rayon blouses covered with roses.
here are all the personal style posts if you'd like to read on!
so here is your trend report (click through if you dare):
1. double gauze!
this beautiful double-layered cotton is everywhere at muji and uniqlo, even at madewell, and of course at ace&jig (which i can't afford, but it's nice to think about). it's two delicate pieces of cotton, often with a distinct pattern on either side, woven together. favorites: here, here, here.
2. indigo!
of course. i don't know if indigo was ever out of fashion, and now it is completely pervasive. j. crew has tons of beautiful "adire" indigo. uniqlo has that "pure blue japan" stuff. american apparel has this special sweatshirt. and urban outfitters has the hippie version.
3. holographic materials!
i effing love this trend. there were those holographic nikes i saw on the subway that i imported into a short story because they were so magical. there were the miista holographic oxfords. now topshop is offering some cool ones, here and here. you can buy holographic purses and wallets and bags too, and tops printed with holographic foil. evie bought this iphone case with dazzling holographic glitter that MOVES WHEN YOU TIP IT. (i search for keyword "holo" or "hologram"--"holographic" doesn't always work. even "metallic" sometimes reveals exciting new rainbowy finds.)
other favorite trends: joggers, dusters/capes/ponchos, profoundly loose dresses (yusss), long jumpsuits, and shift dresses wherein a simple shape contrasts with many architectural seams.
and, some (embarrassing) top tips for manhattan affordable chain-store shopping:
-madewell and j. crew have a significant in-store student discount, which applies even to clothes that are already on sale
-j. crew boys' size "k7" is a woman's 9...so you can get a solid deal on suede desert boots, for example
-the soho urban outfitters (houston and broadway) has by far the best urban outfitters sale section in manhattan, because they sell lots of nice brands that won't fall apart instantaneously, unlike kimchi and blue. recently, i found a st. james striped top and a baggu suede pouch with moons and stars on it.
-if the soho uniqlo doesn't have what you want, it might be at the giant uniqlo on 53nd street! the latter is the biggest uniqlo in the world--89 thousand square feet.
-if you want brand-name clothes, the beacon's closet at 13th street has a bewildering assortment--yesterday i went there and found philip lim, thakoon, and a beautiful kenzo jacket, all for less than $40. a quick way to spot the fancier pieces is to check the price tags. pretty much anything over than $25 has good reason to be.
-some of the h&m stores in manhattan (not in brooklyn) carry the slightly fancier line called "h&m trend" (look for the pale pink tags). i bought all the dresses i wore to weddings last year at h&m trend. they have stuff as beautiful as anthropologie for half the price.
-do you know about the american apparel "warehouse" at lafayette near prince? i was distressed to learn (far behind the times) that the stuff you buy at a gap or j.crew factory store is shittier quality, made to be sold at a lower price. but at the american apparel factory store, it's their normal styles and merchandise. some of the pieces do have noticeable blemishes (slightly assymetrical, dangling threads, whatever), but a lot of them are just overstock. i got my winter coat there, a blue leather bag, and one of those rayon blouses covered with roses.
here are all the personal style posts if you'd like to read on!
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