strong>Name: Elyse Saunders
Age: 22
Occupation: Model, Artist
Blog: http://treeandtreasure.blog.com
How would you describe your style? Eclectic, girly-grunge.
What item of clothing do you own that gets you the most attention? My studded leather jacket and a yellow gown I have.
What is your favorite vintage store in NYC? Narnia.
What do a James Perse black dress, a pair of fuschia Hunter wellies, and a floral Tucker blouse have in common?
They each topped sale aggregator Shop It To Me‘s list of most clicked-on items of 2010. This was measured by how many clicks each item received when it showed up in Shop It To Me’s daily email alerts.
Other coveted items included a Balenciaga bag and a Black Halo one-shouldered dress. What these findings tell us:
James Perse
Deal: $25 to $30 for t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, and shirt dress samples, $135 to $175 for sweatshirts and outwear, $50 to $65 for trendy T-shirts, $75 for long jersey dresses, and more.
When/Where: Thursday, August 26 through Sunday, August 29. Thurs 4pm—9pm, Fri—Sat 10am—8pm, Sun 10am—4pm.
189 Schermerhorn St between Hoyt and Smith Sts, Boerum Hill (no phone)
Kiki de Montparnasse
Deal: Bras are $35 to $65, thongs are $15 to $30, panties are $20 to $45, ready-to-wear and lounge wear is $45 to $175, and accessories are $20 to $75.
When/Where: Friday, August 27 through Wednesday, September 1. Daily 12pm—7:30pm. 79 Greene St between Spring and Broome Sts (212-965-8150)
Sophomore
Deal: Up to 80% off pieces from the laid-back label’s spring and fall collections
When/Where: Thursday, August 26 through Sunday, August 28. Daily noon—8pm. Court, 178 Mulberry St between Broome and Kenmare Sts (212-925-1022)
“Not to sound too much like Bateman but the James Perse t-shirts and hoodies I bought a week ago are the best clothes I’ve worn in a year…” Bret Easton Ellis twittering about his new tees. Apparently he’s a $200 t-shirt guy.
About a week ago, I received a package in the mail from Gap, stuffed with two of the brand’s new t-shirts. The “Perfect T” collection, which launched July 1, includes tri-blend knits, micro modal tanks, and a soft, relaxed burnout fabric. Most styles are just $19.50.
Of course it’s nice to receive a gift, but more than that, I was intrigued by the feel of the shirts. They felt, well, expensive.
Which leads me to my point. Thank you, The Row. Thank you, James Perse. But above all, thank you, Michael Stars–the original “I can’t believe these t-shirts are that expensive” brand–for raising the quality bar in the t-shirt category.
Now, don’t misunderstand my gratitude. I would never, ever spend more than $50 on a tee. (Yes, I know that’s still kind of expensive, but if it’s a silk blend I can excuse it.) But I am glad that these brands exist. Why? Because it pushes less pricey labels to create better product at a lower price. Do you remember what t-shirts used to feel like? They were thick, took years to soften, and often became a funny shape after a wash or two.
Why the change? Consider a brand like James Perse.
I’m not going to go crazy at James Perse every time I walk in, but I have spent money when there’s been a good sale. My reasoning: Why would I spend a few dollars less at a specialty retailer if I can get higher quality on sale? Suddenly, the Gaps and J.Crews and even Old Navys of the world are not only competing with each other, they’re competing with LNA, Kain, and Splendid as well.
So we must thank those ridiculous brands for offering up $500 t-shirts. We might not be buying them, but they’ve improved the quality of t-shirts we do buy. Here are a few of Fashionista’s favorite tees for midsummer.
I’ve spent almost three of the past four weeks in California which means I’ve worn pretty much nothing but old Levi cut-offs, white James Perse tees and my red Saltwater sandals. It’s been wonderful. But yesterday it was back to reality, which means gearing up for fall, for fashion week, for September issues etc. and Read more →
Fact: When pieces are borrowed for a photo shoot, they are usually just that – borrowed, unpaid for, and are meant to be returned as soon as the shoot is over (unless someone on set has sticky fingers). Fact: Many of these items, if returned, come back to their showrooms damaged. Fact: So, designers are Read more →
Sometimes designers make outrageous things that make us go, “Um, really?” We’ve been scrolling through Shopbop all morning, (because all tops are 20% off and we have a crush on James Perse), and we found these Alexander Wang waffle shorts. They have little buttons and look like they’re probably saggy in the butt and the Read more →
We’re repeatedly told it’s best to splurge on a pair of luxury shoes or an it-bag – but in our office, some would rather spend serious money searching for the perfect white tee. While a nice bag can last a lifetime, a white tee will never last more than a year, (you might still have Read more →
