Long Weekend Jaunt: Follow-Up Ruminations and Acquisitions

My long weekend was fantastic.  I saw friends, family and loved ones. I drank way too much. I spent way too much money. I had absolutely too much fun.  Being back up north, especially in fall, is magical for a displaced person such as myself and I miss it already...but since this blog is primarily about clothes and such, I'll cut to the chase...

[Pictured: Uniqlo Storefront, SoHo]

On Friday I browsed the racks at Barney's and Bergdorf, marveling at the beautiful clothes from Michael Bastian, Band of Outsiders, Thom Browne, Duckie Brown etc. and shed a single tear when I soon realized that not even a single justifiable purchase existed amongst those elite garments.  I ditched the high end racks and headed to SoHo to check out Uniqlo.  At 3pm on Friday afternoon a line still graced the storefront, which puts the +J pandemonium from 10/1 in perspective.  After waiting outside for about 30-40 minutes I was let in and promptly entered what can best be described as "The Thunderdome".  Despite the constant hysteria and crowd, I was still able to browse the +J collection.  I loved most of the pieces (sorry, but I don't do turtlenecks) and had a decent pick of the merchandise.  The shirts, especially the sport shirts, really caught my eye and had amazing fits...they were slim, but not ridiculous to the extent that I couldn't fit into a medium (I'm looking at you Band of Outsiders).  I tried on a bunch of outerwear and various jackets and, like the shirts, they fit great.  Jil Sander's skills have not left her and the entire collection was simplistic and just forward thinking enough.  Uniqlo really needs a US webstore so I can spend more of my money. I ended up getting two beautiful plaid sport shirts from +J for fall...

 

I browsed the rest of Uniqlo and was just as impressed.  The brand really knows how to make great looking clothes for ridiculously reasonable prices.  Besides my +J shirts, I grabbed a knit tie for $10.50 and some stuff for my brother's bday, which will go unnamed since he reads this blog and I'm not trying to spoil the suprise.

Even though the rest of my weekend was jam-packed I still managed a little bit of browsing on Sunday at Club Monaco.  I had wanted to try on their new suits which I have been reading a ton of great things about, but was completely unaware of just how amazing they would actually be in person.  I tried on the suit pictured below (click here for a bigger view) and was blown away by the quality and details.  The suit was glen plaid wool, 3/2 roll, roped construction, double vented, had working button holes, and the pants had a nice, thick cuff.  For under $500 this suit was an absolute steal.  I didn't pull the trigger on it and I completely regret that looking back.  When I head back up north I am stopping to pick one up assuming they haven't sold out.  It's not often you find the perfect cold weather suit and have it actually fit in your budget. 

[Pictured: Club Monaco Glen Plaid Wool Suit, $498. Photo courtesy of GQ.]

-L.A.S

Attn: Bloggers and L.L. Bean Enthusiasts

Just got this in my inbox.  As I've mentioned before I am beyond pumped for the debut of L.L. Bean Signature, but unfortunetly my schedule is not permitting another quick trip to NY just yet.  Alex's updates on the classics are for sure going to put a dent in my checking account and I wish I could see them up close next Wednesday.  Anyone plan on going and doing a little reporting of their own?

-L.A.S

Long Weekend Jaunt: NYC

[Pictured: Uniqlo's Soho NYC store.]

I am headed back up to the chilly north for a wonderful long weekend with friends and family (happily throwing on my jean jacket already).  While I have a pretty full schedule, I did set aside some time to do a little bit of retail therapy on Friday.  I'm on the prowl for a birthday gift for my brother and have a few specific spots in mind.  It's pretty awesome that my travel arrangements coincide with the release of Jil Sander's +J line, which is not only her return to the design world, but a collaboration between her and Uniqlo.  Uniqlo is always getting shout outs from the major players, i.e. GQ, men.style.com, etc., so I'm pretty pumped to finally check out the Japanese brand's Soho store.  For those in the dark, Uniqlo is a Japanese mega-brand that has recently picked up steam in the US.  They offer modern cut classics typically falling under $100 so it's at least browse worthy.  I'll be sure to bring my shitty camera along to take pics of the new line and anything else sartorially inclined.  Stay in touch and stay tuned...

-L.A.S