Rag & Bone - Minimalistic Elegance

Rag & Bone has a small studio store off the main drag, in what feels like a back alley.  The location is very fitting for the brand and their style, like a secret in plain sight.

The store, like the clothing is very minimalistic, simple, and uncluttered.  The display racks held one or maybe two examples of each item.  The men’s rack on the left side of the wall the women’s rack on the right; a table sharing accessories dividing the middle of the store.

In the back of the store sat a beautiful antique leather couch and chairs.  This was near the shoes and fitting room.  The store provided a simple, utilitarian design that uses absence of design and lack of flair to make a statement.  The clothing beautifully mimicked that design ethos.  Overall the clothing had plain muted colors, almost monochromatic, raw and untreated.

The clothing had clean lines and a slim fit.  The designs were deconstructed, removing the embellishments of style and leaving only the utilitarian elements.  Anything that will distract from the cut and fit of the garment is edited out of the final garment.  Quite a refreshing & classic design, especially considering the monstrosity Ed Hardy Store is a block away.  Rag & Bone is a refuge from the over indulgent clothing that permeates most stores.

I really enjoyed a few items they had on display, including a great pair of black boots.  They had a round toe, nice plain black leather, well constructed design, leather soles and all embellishments & unique design elements were removed in favor of clean, classic lines.  The elegance was in the minimalistic design.

I also enjoyed a beautiful gray suit.  It had beautiful classic lines with thin lapels and a slim fit cut.  No flaps on the hip pockets or patch pocket on the breast.  The fabric and cut of the jacket do the work in the garment; sometimes that is all that is needed.

I was impressed with the quality, feel and look of the wool garments.  Rag & Bone had wool beanies, sweaters and gloves that all beautifully weaved, with a vintage look.  The wool was almost as soft as the finest cashmere, yet it did not look to be delicate and airy.  The wool obviously was of the highest quality, breathable, strong and amazingly soft.

Rag & Bone certainly moved up my list of designers with a visit to the NYC store and that is the point to a retail location, isn’t it?

New York City Trip - JCrew Tribeca

I have decided to add another location to my NYC shopping trip.  As I have discussed, I will be visiting the Uniqlo flagship store in Soho, and since I will be down that way I figured I would go up to the J Crew store in Tribeca.  It is the flagship J Crew store and really quite beautifully designed.  It is the epitome of the J Crew style and store has a similar feel as the clothes, dignified, modern and preppy.  The store from the pictures I have seen online has a Sprezzatura element which has always drawn me to their clothes.

I am certainly not expecting to see anything at the store that I wouldn’t find online or at another location, but I would like to at least see how it feels.  Do they have any additional perks?  Are the store workers more knowledgeable?  Or is it just good clothes in a good location?

I am still looking to add to my list of stores to visit, if anyone has any suggestions please free to email me: mdignified@gmail.com

Martin + Osa - Another Shopping Option

I happened to stumble across a Martin + Osa store yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. From the outside looking in I expected a more expensive version of JCrew meets LL Bean, instead I found a fairly reasonably priced JCrew meets LL Bean. The prices are actually in line with JCrew and the clothes have their usefulness in the clutter that exists, some pieces were even downright affordable (like JCrew and other corporate store fronts).

I like the O-Ring Belts at Martin + Osa, a great look in a full leather belt. This would look great with chinos and jeans and a sport shirt. They often showed the look with a shirt underneath and sport shirt unbuttoned, which is a look that is great on manikins and horrible on humans, but aside from that those belts are a great addition to add some flair and uniqueness to a wardrobe.

The second items that stood out considerably was the casual jackets sold at the store. The fabrics used were not commonly seen in the colors shown and are great for odd jackets. The major bonus was the cuff buttons were working buttons, otherwise known as "surgeon cuffs" and typically only seen on really well tailored jackets. This was a nice touch and could help add sprezzatura to an outfit if left unbuttoned.

The last piece worth mentioning were the jeans, as they came in three useful cuts: Vintage Slim (preferred), Super Slim (only useful to super skinny guys) and Straight (preferred by men with extra girth). The jeans were reasonably priced $79 - $99, but aside from cut had no discernible advantages to any other pair of available jeans.

As a whole the store was nice to look at and had some bargains to be gained and unique pieces. It certainly has its place but will probably not be a favorite destination of mine, rather a way point when convenient.

Lastly, I will be out of town on business the next few days and will not be able to post. I will miss you all but promise to return with a vengeance next week, probably on Wednesday.