A SoHo Saturday

by Elise Diamantini

I met up with my oh-so-stylish friend Jamel last Saturday to check out what’s new in Soho. We had a perfect fall day in New York City, crisp and sunny, so we walked the streets, stopping at men’s, and of course some women’s stores. (Can you blame me?) Here’s my take on a few of the more notable stores.

We started at What Comes Around Goes Around on West Broadway. They were in the midst of their infamous sample sale. All vintage pieces were marked down considerably and their namesake house brand’s current fall collection was discounted 20 to 50 percent. WCAGA is a gorgeous line with a lot of really cool vintage-inspired looks at prices that I could never afford. Women’s was stocked with fur jackets, vintage Chanel (which was still unaffordable for this young editor) and bargain bins filled with purses ($15), velvet skirts and shirts ($10) and 90s-style slip dresses ($15). Alright, I won’t bore you anymore with women’s, so on to the boys. Standouts were $20 Henleys under their own label, Brixton hats ($38-$128) and a marching band jacket that Jamel fell in love with (but at $2,000, even with 20 percent off, he had to leave it behind). There were a lot of long vintage jackets and trench coats, varsity-style cardigans and pull over sweaters.

Next stop was Opening Ceremony on Howard Street. We walked in and were bombarded with merchandise from the Pendleton by Opening Ceremony collaboration, and then learned that each floor was filled with the classic prints in updated fits and styles. The collection looked great, but its bold prints and colors dominated the rest of the store’s assortment; I would have rather seen it as a shop-in-shop.

On our way out, the associate at the door told us to check out their Part Deux store located next door. It was three floors with an accessories focus including sunglasses, shoes, bags, etc. Both stores were packed with shoppers, proving that Opening Ceremony has become a destination among both New Yorkers and tourists alike.

At this point, I was in major need of coffee, so we walked over to Saturdays Surf Shop on Crosby Street. I’d been to this store a few times for nighttime events, (various lines promoting new collections), but never during the day. There’s a coffee bar in the front that serves La Colombe Torrefaction coffee. So we took our hot drinks to their outdoor garden patio in the back to chill out. Saturdays is both a local hangout and a store that sells surfboards and wax, lifestyle items and apparel. The environment in here was friendly and laid back, the perfect spot to shop, sip and get away from the hustle and bustle of Soho.