|
You'd be hard-pressed to find as transportive a shopping experience as Shanghai Tang. Once you enter this upscale Chinese department store (which also has outposts in Hong Kong, Singapore, London...
You'd be hard-pressed to find as transportive a shopping experience as Shanghai Tang. Once you enter this upscale Chinese department store (which also has outposts in Hong Kong, Singapore, London and Bangkok), it's difficult to remember you're on the Upper East Side. Each of the four floors is decorated differently, but the dark, rich wood and jewel-toned colors are constant.
The Goods
The real attractions here are the vibrantly hued Tang jackets, Mao-style suits and cheongsam gowns. Witty gift items like cufflinks featuring Chairman Mao and watches in bamboo dim sum baskets are also big sellers. All this exoticism doesn't come cheap: a pair of silk pajamas will run you around $200. Want just a taste of Tang? Snag a pair of acid green quilted silk slippers with matching case for about $50.
Hide
|
|
Over 100 years old, this venerable company still caters to the Anglophile longing for the days when colonialism wasn't a dirty word. The staff has pitch-perfect advice for the aspiring gentleman,...
Over 100 years old, this venerable company still caters to the Anglophile longing for the days when colonialism wasn't a dirty word. The staff has pitch-perfect advice for the aspiring gentleman, yet remains keenly American. "Can you believe someone would pay $1,800 for a robe?" a salesman said, conspiratorially. "But they are going like hotcakes!"
From the snappy lighters and cufflinks to the luxurious ties to the pipes, the offerings here breathe class--upper class, darling. The impressive humidor stocks scores of fragrant cigars, and includes a sitting area in which to smoke them. Custom suits start at $1,800. Off-the-rack clothing displays a British bent, with details like ticket pockets and side vents. While the store has a slightly stuffy reputation among Londoners, those looking to add an English accent to their life will feel right at home.
Hide
|
|
Zegna
Category:
Men's Clothing
New York, New York 10022
(212) 838-5877
Gents pick out shirts and power ties on the ground level of this four-story men's emporium, where the salespeople are beautifully dressed, sweet and extra attentive (they know men need help). The...
Gents pick out shirts and power ties on the ground level of this four-story men's emporium, where the salespeople are beautifully dressed, sweet and extra attentive (they know men need help). The floors, connected by glossy stairs and an optional elevator, are accented with clean lines, neat displays and everything else you'd expect to go with pricetags like these.
On the top floor you'll find evening wear and super-fly suits, on levels two and three sportswear for weekend or business casual needs. The ground floor holds the brand's famed and very handsome tie selection, along with dress shirts, shoes and other accessories. The clothing here is classic Italian--sexy, rich and traditionally tailored--with a dash of contemporary fashion flavor for good measure.
Hide
|
|
Why should "bourgeois" be such a dirty word? Playing 18 holes in a natty blue jacquard polo shirt. Meeting your banker wearing a fine striped wool suit. Sitting down with the Journal in a merino...
Why should "bourgeois" be such a dirty word? Playing 18 holes in a natty blue jacquard polo shirt. Meeting your banker wearing a fine striped wool suit. Sitting down with the Journal in a merino wool sweater vest. It's all perfectly civilized. In 1899 Jacob Freeman and Jeremiah Hickey set out to clothe the respectable class with quality suits somewhere between bespoke and cheap off-the-rack versions. Now with a robust sportswear line, the company also offers made-to-measure suits for customers angling to spend their bonuses.
When the gentleman sales help says, "I'd like you to try this on," customers enthusiastically comply. Opened in October 2001, the only freestanding Hickey Freeman location specializes in well-finished wardrobes for the boardroom and the links. The sport coats, sweaters and trousers, in forest shades, are dapper without being swish. The sportswear ensures golfers look good, no matter what their handicap.
Hide
|
|
Klurk
Category:
Men's Clothing
New York, New York 10013
(212) 966-3617
Featuring the designs of stylish Hong Kong couturier Brian Chik, this Nolita boutique offers high fashion in his two lines. There's the more classic KLURK and the slightly funkier (think...
Featuring the designs of stylish Hong Kong couturier Brian Chik, this Nolita boutique offers high fashion in his two lines. There's the more classic KLURK and the slightly funkier (think Buddha-appliqued wool sweaters) Future Labor Union, both of which showcase a nice mix of both revised basics and unique pieces.
Simple, sophisticated lines are married with inventive polyester blends--such as a poly and lambswool fabric with the feel of the softest suede. With a small but intelligently curated selection on the floor, the Klurk shopping experience is as simple and joyous as the clothing itself.
Hide
|
|
The hot pink door of this store brightens up otherwise drab (and slightly desolate) Grand Street, hinting at what's inside: racks of clothing in acid greens, raspberry reds and plummy purples to...
The hot pink door of this store brightens up otherwise drab (and slightly desolate) Grand Street, hinting at what's inside: racks of clothing in acid greens, raspberry reds and plummy purples to spruce up the grey streets of the city.
The sartorial equivalent of a Talvin Singh song: traditional Indian elements mixed with urban inspiration for an end result that's wholly different. Silky sari fabrics are worked into stylish shirts and dresses with adjustable buckles. A reversible halter top is at once sweet and sexy. Intricate cut-outs decorate a fitted blouse. Men looking to escape from boring buttondowns should check out the selection here: detailing pintucks and embroidery ensure that you'll stand out on your commute.
Hide
|
|
Consider this the antithesis to all those annoyingly minimalist and techy-flash shops that won't stop springing up. Small and chic for the downtown man, antique shelving from the turn of century...
Consider this the antithesis to all those annoyingly minimalist and techy-flash shops that won't stop springing up. Small and chic for the downtown man, antique shelving from the turn of century provides an old skool flavor that makes you feel like the place has got more history than its few years. Cute sales girls in cutting-edge frocks help indie-rock boys find their size.
Steven Alan's men's clothing is small but stylish: the 10 or so pieces per season all nod to preppy classics, perfect for the casual office worker. Chambray shirts, perfect for tucking in or wearing unbuttoned over a T (we know you can't resist, boys), comfy seersucker pants and other low-key wear hang on the racks. Haircuts by any of the three staff stylists run $35 for men. No appointment necessary, but be prepared to wait if you don't call ahead. Top-notch English hairbrushes by Denman are all the maintenance a bedheaded boy needs.
Hide
|
|
There's no hastily-scrawled sign proclaiming "Girls keep out!" outside the Jack Spade store, but that's certainly the feeling inside. The brainchild of Andy Spade (yep, that's handbag queen Kate...
There's no hastily-scrawled sign proclaiming "Girls keep out!" outside the Jack Spade store, but that's certainly the feeling inside. The brainchild of Andy Spade (yep, that's handbag queen Kate Spade's hubby), Jack Spade sells boxy, functional bags for boys in canvas and waxwear.
While the totes are quite nice, it's really the other stuff--most of it for sale--that is to be admired. Function is the overarching theme. Plaid thermoses and twine get arranged into artistic vignettes, while the store's card is printed on a traffic-cone orange matchbook. Emblems of preppiness--Tretorns, stripey scarves, wellies--mingle with vaguely mod vintage Braun stereos. Issues of Playboy from 1964 rest next to taxidermied animals. And the iconic (Timex watches and Ray-Ban aviators) hang out with the uberboyish (model rockets, microscopes, model cars, a bench from a locker room and trophies). This is classic cool--not downtown techno cool or snarky hipper-than-thou retro cool, just good, old-school cool.
Hide
|
|
Alife
Category:
Men's Clothing
New York, New York 10002
(646) 654-0628
Owned by a collective of cool kids, alife brings indie fashion and underground art to the LES with loads of style (what, you were expecting Talbot's?). Anticipate being surrounded by hip-hop music,...
Owned by a collective of cool kids, alife brings indie fashion and underground art to the LES with loads of style (what, you were expecting Talbot's?). Anticipate being surrounded by hip-hop music, baggy jean boys, grafitti-infused everything and excellent merch you've never seen before.
Sneaker freaks, this is your mecca: alife carries super-exclusive, can't-find-'em-anywhere-else (read: pricey) Nikes. Scoop up what's there and quickly put your name on the waiting lists for more. Also worth a look: cool downtown chick clothing from m.z. by Michelle Zachs, graphic T-shirts for men, jewelry with the "urban soldier" aesthetic in mind and bags sans big-name logos for hauling all your stuff around.
Hide
|
|
Since arriving in New York in 1999, Helmut Lang has set about proving that he's not like other designers. His flagship American store was created by trendy Gluckman Mayner Architects, known for...
Since arriving in New York in 1999, Helmut Lang has set about proving that he's not like other designers. His flagship American store was created by trendy Gluckman Mayner Architects, known for turning industrial spaces into art galleries, and it feels a little like an exhibition space. In the entrance area, a single display rack is surrounded by three giant black eagles; further inside, the clothes are hidden behind gray metal walls; a Jenny Holzer electronic-koan-ticker blinks in a corner.
Since Prada took a majority stake in the business in 2000, however, access to such hipness seems to come a little cheaper--no bad thing when what you're paying for is an almost secretive luxury. Lang's genius is in the details, particularly in the men's line, where a superficially ordinary pair of trousers usually turns out to contain some kind of cool, vaguely hi-tech hidden pocket. Favoring synthetic fabrics and bold cuts, his is a clinical aesthetic: high fashion that ordinary people can wear.
Hide
|