there are a handful of shops i go to when i want to buy a birthday or christmas present but i don't want to think too hard. urban outfitters is near the top of my list. they have a huge selection of funny t-shirts (that i'd probably never buy for myself) and random cool or funny knick knacks that make great generic-yet-somewhat-thoughtful gifts. their books and housewares make especially good and well-received gifts.
urban outfitters' clothes are a different story. the best phrase i can use to describe them is "pretty good." there's always something that makes me not buy their clothes: weird fit, little too expensive, strange color, etc. their sale section is one of the worst i've seen; it's pretty large, but most of the clothes are abysmal. this is not to say you can't score a great find at urban outfitters, but you're more likely to score many many pretty good finds.
the accessories (shoes, socks, hats, scarves, etc) are probably the best part of UO's clothing.
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