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| At Ann Taylor, I found a few sporty pieces mixed with otherwise classic AT
looks. First item
up for bid is this gray
sweatshirt that AT has redone for a more cleaned up look. It's slightly cropped for a bit
of a 1980's touch, and a tiny little pocket on the left sleeve to keep up with the utilitarian/cargo thing that happened to us all this
year. $38.00.
This cozy, pastel wool skirt is a great
piece for adding a bit of subtle color to the fall/winter wardrobe. It has a few threads
of green, yellow, blue and gray that can be picked up when paired with all sorts of
colored tops. $78.00.
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Here
we have MATCHING, yes, MATCHING bag and shoes. Brown wool brings great texture to this
cute tote bag, $68.00, which also comes with a shoulder strap if you wish to use it. The closed toed, slip-on mules are also in brown wool,
and are trimmed with brown leather, $110.00. Together, they look polished and
professional; separated, they can hold their own alone. |
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| And a dark
brown leather jacket, with a fleece-lined hood! No more wearing that sweatshirt under the
jacket for umbrella-haters like myself. It also has seams across the front for a bit of a
Fonzie feeling, including neat pockets in the front to hold all those "ey's!"
But it costs $250.00. |
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Seems like Banana Republic has yet to recover
from that mudslide they had months ago, but for some reason, I'm digging their muddy
colored pieces for fall. When paired with bright colors, an earthier and less graphic look
is created. For example, we
have this khaki mid-calf length, A-line cut skirt. It's a subtle grayish-khaki color, has
two pockets on the side, and is made of mostly cotton with a touch of lycra and spandex
for added stretch. $78.00. |
| There's a traditional men's shirt
worn by Filipinos called a barong tagalog. BR's embroidered 100% cotton shirt looks
very much like a woman's version of one, which I love because I've always liked the barong
shirt better than the women's traditional shirt. The embroidery work runs all along the
front and continues onto the sleeves and collar. Comes in both beige and gray. $68.00.Next, we have a great wool
skirt that's cut on the bias, and stops below the knee. It comes in a light toasty brown
fabric and costs $98.00. |
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Continuing on the men's inspired
look, we have these great men's style trousers. Amongst all the ultra-feminine looks and
colors we have been seeing lately, they are a great contrast to it all. Plus, they are
made of cotton with some lycra and spandex, so comfort is no issue. Comes in black, khaki,
charcoal gray, a yellowy-tan, and a blue-gray. $78.00. |
| Then there is another skirt
available that is also made of wool, but this one is gray and grazes the ankle. It's heavy
enough to wear in the winter, and long enough to hide long underwear once the weather
turns really cold. It is also available in black, but is made of cotton, not wool.
$118.00. |
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Despite The Gap's huge marketing effort to dress the entire population up
in their love, just in time for the back to school season, their monotonous clothes manage
to make even the most beautiful group of multi-racial models blend into a sick pattern of
unindividual individuals in uniforms. One thing I do celebrate is their choice to keep their walking karaoke machine
in colors. Exhibit A: this cotton hooded, three-fourths sleeve top, which comes in orange,
"mellow-yellow," gray, black, and white. $24.00.
Exhibit B is this
indigo denim skirt that looks bright but dark at the same time. It's got contrasting
yellow stitching, looks great with orange, and costs $34.00. |
| I also found some versatile jackets
to combat the fall winds, or perhaps to provide some insulation from the chill of this
consumer. This khaki hooded
jacket, made of 100% cotton, has three front pockets and a drawstring around the bottom.
$39.99. |
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This next jacket reminds me of
something worn in the wintertime in China, during the time of Mao. It's short, has a soft
polyester shell, big buttons, and round-seam pockets. Comes in cream, black, and a
grayish-mint. $59.50. |
| According to the sign in the store,
our final Gap item is their favorite tee, and I believe it because this crewneck,
long-sleeve T-shirt is thin and SOFT. It costs $16.50 and is available in black,
grey, and a very light pink. |
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Our next store
is Benetton, a store that I have always loved. I still wear a
pink cardigan of my mother's bought way back in the days when their logo was in lower
white case letters with a green background. Benetton clothes last, and are classically
cut, but sparked with definite elements of design. The first thing that caught my eye was this bright shirt in this
amazing blue-red color. It's a wool/acrylic knit tee with three-quarter sleeves, and a
v-neck trimmed in satin. And if red is too bright for your taste, it also comes in gray.
$58.00.
Next, I spied this great knitted scarf. It's rather
big and is half wool, half acrylic. Like I said, it's big, but it's thin, so you can wrap
it around many parts of you without feeling too bulky. $44.00. |
| Turtlenecks are great! And this one is
even greater, because the neck part is extra long, adding dramatic drapes and scrunches
that keep you extra warm. The rest of the sweater is rather thin, so the bulk is
concentrated on the neck. It's made of, yes, wool and acrylic, and is available in red,
light gray, charcoal, black, and olive. $78.00. |
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Now, this hip-length, wrap around knit
tank top is made of a rayon/viscose/nylon blend and crosses the line between dress and
top. It comes in a variety of colors like sweet sky blue, the lightest lavender, rose, a
beige-y yellow, and white, and can be layered over and under a variety of sweaters.
$34.00. |
| Last, but most definitely not least,
is this bolero jacket with a hood. There are no buttons and no pockets; it's made of
polyester, and is one of the most artful articles of clothing I've seen in a while.
$78.00. |
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Honestly, I
was really put off by the back to school frenzy blasting inside of the South Street
Seaport location of Abercrombie and
Fitch. I overheard one mother quip to her daughter
"$40 for a tee-shirt, I don’t think so." I couldn’t help but agree.
Although I appreciate the soft and cozy, worn-in feel that the majority of AF's line
possesses, I couldn’t help but notice that the prices were higher on items with
noticeable, but hiply faded Abercromie and Fitch logos that are branded on most of their
merchandise. I did, however, find myself growing very excited over a few items that were,
to me, worth the price for instantaneous worn-in luxury. The first of which was this lambswool/nylon, crewneck
sweater. It's got three-quarter sleeves, and comes in gray and light blue. Plus, for the
convenience of all the BoyZone members, there's a crafty little tag on the lower left side
that identifies the wearer as one of the girls who wear Abercrombie and Fitch…they'd
take her if they had one wish…but she was gone since that summer...since that summer.
$49.99. |
| Next, there's AF's merino
wool/acrylic/nylon sweater with a little bow in the center. The neck is wide across the
neck to let the straps of a tank top show, and the sweater itself is sheer enough to let a
tank top's color show through. Comes in dark gray, light gray, navy blue, baby blue, and
light pink. $59.50. Then we have
these great cotton/nylon tech chinos that are such fun to run around in. The material
makes a swishing noise when you walk, and there's a panel of construction worker orange at
the bottom part of the back. Plus, it's got an orange Velcro fly…Very cool! They come
in khaki, olive, and blue. $49.50. |
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Now we have this lambswool sweater
that is knitted using green and yellow colored yarn, creating a subtle yellow-green hue
that looks great with the red velvet piping that runs along the collar and trims the
bottom. And to make it even sweeter, there's embroidery of leaves and flowers on the back
and the sleeves. $79.50. |
| Last, we have this 100% cotton shirt.
It's very thin and light, great for summer, but can be a great layering piece for the
fall. There's a string a little bit below the bust that's to be tied at the back, and
accenting strings at the bottom of the sleeves. It comes it pale blue, light pink, khaki,
and white. $49.50. |
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