nyc shopping guide to soho

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More easily digestible version of the MFA subreddit guide on a PDF file.

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  • Introduction

    This guide hopes to aid MFAers visiting NYC for a few days. By no means exhaustive, you should

    certainly take it upon yourself to look around and find what interests you; this listing will help give a

    basic idea of local shops and a personal review of a few that I absolutely recommend checking out.

    SoHo, in the strictest/classical sense, literally means South of Houston and is the neighborhood

    bordered by Houston to the north, Lafayette to the east, Canal to the south, and Avenue of the

    Americas to the west. For our purposes well make several detours across the eastern border into Nolita;

    try to ignore this small discrepancy and pretend its all cohesive.

    The guide will be broken down as follows. First Ill introduce the Google map and provide an

    explanation/key for the various markings. Ill follow up with a simple listing of the stores with addresses

    and cross streets in a semi-organized order from northeast to southwest. Links will be included so you

    can get a general idea of each locations stock; for chains/designers, Ill simply link to the main website.

    Links to the particular locations with Google reviews are included on the map itself. Next Ill list the

    stores under various style headings. Keep in mind Im quite the plebe, so if I categorize something as

    streetwear and you vehemently disagree, I hope this apology suffices. Then well get to the real

    foundation of this guide; a simple route suggestion I unimaginatively call An Introductory Path for

    Shopping SoHo. This will feature a street by street walkthrough with in-depth reviews on the stores

    included on the route touching upon service, general stock, accessibility, and aesthetic. Finally well end

    with some closing thoughts and various tidbits that might make your time more enjoyable. Ready?

    Without further ado, lets jump into it.

    The Google Map

    Hopefully no one finds this map too overwhelming, but I thought visualizing the space would

    make things easier for everybody. The pink icons represent stores in SoHo that are worth a look. The

    green line marks the Introductory Path to Shopping SoHo. The dark gold icons are must-see stores

    along the path, while light yellow icons are shops Ill include in my in-depth reviews but arent screaming

    for an immediate visit. The light blue line/icons represent what Ill call Fast Fashion Lane, a section of

    Broadway featuring several mall-brand stores or other easily accessible locations that I still recommend

    checking out for reasons Ill include later. Finally, dark blue icons mark stores well outside the SoHo area

    worthy of inclusion due to their prominence on the subreddit. These will be covered more in-depth in

    their respective neighborhoods guide, but theyre noted here in case those posts never materialize.

    [The Google Map](https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zKvT-JKeaIJY.kz1cJJqwg3Yw)

    Brand Listing

    [Billy Reid]( http://www.billyreid.com/), 54 Bond St, corner of Bond and Bowery. See Below.

    [APC](http://usonline.apc.fr/), Bond St (Google maps does not recognize it, but I promise its there,

    across from Billy Reid). See Below.

  • [Rag & Bone] (http://www.rag-bone.com/), 73 E. Houston. Another location for Rag & Bone will be

    included and its not part of the essential tour as many of the multi-label boutiques carry it. This

    particular store keeps the best stock of outerwear/knitwear and is my personal favorite of the bunch.

    [Steven Alan Mens Shop]( http://www.stevenalan.com/), 229 Elizabeth, between Prince and Houston.

    The real store is located in TriBeCa; this is a closet sized offshoot. However they always have a nice stock

    of Gitman Vintage, Filson bags, and the Steven Alan brand shirting. Worth a quick stop. Womens is

    directly across street on the east side.

    [REI](http://www.rei.com/) , 303 Lafayette St, corner of Lafayette and Houston. Included because they

    keep a nice stock of the Levis Commuter line upstairs, and Patagonia/Arcteryx/North Face downstairs.

    [American Apparael]( http://store.americanapparel.net/), 285 Lafayette. Between Houston and Prince.

    [Scotch & Soda](www.scotch-soda.com), 273 Lafayette, between Houston and Prince. See Below.

    [Creatures of Comfort](www.creaturesofcomfort.us), 205 Mulberry St, between Prince and Kenmare.

    See Below.

    [Odin](www.odinnewyork.com) , 199 Lafayette St, between Broome and Spring. See Below.

    [Supreme](www.supremenewyork.com), 274 Lafayette St, between Houston and Prince.

    [Carhartt Work In Progress](www.carhartt-wip.com), 119 Crosby St, between Jersey and Prince. See

    Below.

    [Bonobos](www.bonobos.com), 35 Crosby St, between Broome and Grand. Technically a guide shop,

    Ive never had an issue walking in and asking to look around. Make an appointment if unsure though.

    [Saturdays Surf NYC](http://www.saturdaysnyc.com/), 31 Crosby St, between Broome and Grand. Will

    mention briefly in walkthrough; great stop for coffee and clothes browsing, especially for the surfers

    amongst us. Also has a nice selection of floral button downs and stocks most of their outerwear.

    [American Eagle Outfitters](www.ae.com), 599 Broadway, corner of Houston and Broadway. Major mall

    brand retailer, but this location carries a nice stock of button downs and might be worth stopping in,

    especially if you long ago gave up on AEO due to over-branding.

    [Converse](www.converse.com), 560 Broadway, between Prince and Spring. See Below.

    [Uniqlo](www.Uniqlo.com), 546 Broadway, between Prince and Spring. See Below.

    [Gap 1969](www.gap.com), 513 Broadway, between Spring and Broome. See Below.

    [Bloomingdales](www.Bloomingdales.com), 504 Broadway, between Spring and Broome. See Below.

    [The Levis Store](us.levi.com), 495 Broadway, between Spring and Broome. See Below.

    [J. Crew Mens Shop](www.jcrew.com), 484 Broadway, between Broome and Grand. See Below.

    [Topshop](www.topshop.com), 478 Broadway, between Broome and Grand. See Below.

    [AETHERnyc](www.aetherapparel.com), 13 Crosby St, between Grand and Howard. See Below.

    [Jil Sander](www.jilsander.com), 30 Howard St, corner of Howard and Crosby. See Below.

    [Opening Ceremony](www.openingceremony.us), 35 Howard St. See Below.

    [APC](http://usonline.apc.fr/), 131 Mercer St, between Prince and Spring. Google Maps does recognize

    this location, though I dont frequent it as I prefer the storefront on Bond St.

    [3.1 Philip Lim](www.31philiplim.com), 115 Mercer St, between Prince and Spring. The easiest of the

    designer stores to simply walk in and look around without intentions of buying. Sales people dont

    hound you, and the style is simplistic. I prefer looking at this line within the confines of this storefront,

    as opposed to the larger department chains for the aforementioned reasons.

    [John Varvatos](www.johnvarvatos.com), 122 Spring St.

  • [Suitsupply](www.suitsupply.com), 453 Broome St. Specialists at this location are incredibly

    accommodating. Offers the blue line specialist service as well as in store tailoring. Alterations took

    pretty much no time at all when I had them done, and were good quality. Can get decently crowded, so I

    prefer later hours around closing, generally visiting around seven oclock.

    [Alexander Wang](www.alexanderwang.com), 103 Grand St. See Below.

    [Surface to Air](www.surfacetoair.com), 27 Mercer St, between Grand and Canal. See Below.

    [3x1](www.3x1.us), 15 Mercer St, between Grand and Canal. A really, really cool spot to stop in and

    watch the raw denim process in action. Included within the store is the 3x1 denim factory, all behind

    see-through glass so you can observe the work being done. Cool denim available for purchase, though I

    dont add this to the necessary section because its so close to Blue in Green.

    [Blue in Green](http://blueingreensoho.com/), 8 Greene St, between Grand and Canal. See Below.

    [Ralph Lauren](http://www.ralphlauren.com/home/index.jsp?ab=Geo_iUS_rUS_dUS), 109 Prince St,

    between Houston and Prince. This store has a much larger mens than womens selection. However Im

    not a big buyer from Ralph, and prefer the RRL store mentioned later.

    [J. Lindeberg](www.jlindeberg.com), 126 Spring St. Great collection of suits and blazers for a menswear

    look.

    [Acne Studios](www.acnestudios.com), 33 Greene St, between Grand and Broome. See Below.

    [Adidas Originals](www.adidas.com), 136 Wooster between Houston and Prince. There are two or three

    huge Adidas retail stores in this area that youd have to be blind to miss. Im not a big fan of Adidas

    shoes, but the selection at the Originals location lends itself more to casual streetwear, and so I included

    it. Adidas Original collabs are also available at Opening Ceremony.

    [Barbour](www.barbour.com), 123 Wooster St, between Prince and Spring. Has a nice collection of the

    classic Barbour waxed jackets (plenty of Bedale, Beaufort, Sapper, etc in various colors). Also keeps a

    nice stock of flannels and scarves, though they lack in knitwear options. Purchases include an in-store

    rewaxing service. Not advertised but they do a student discount as well.

    [IceBreaker SoHo](www.icebreaker.com), 102 Wooster St, between Prince and Spring. Contrast the

    vibrant colors and stock of this store to the dark and minimalist aesthetic of Aether. Still a great spot for

    purchasing technically minded clothing, and the staff is friendly and incredibly knowledgeable (they

    wont steer you wrong on appropriate whether resistance, for example).

    [Patagonia](www.patagonia.com), 101 Wooster St, between Prince and Spring.

    [Dr. Martens Store](www.drmartens.com), 148 Spring St. Nice selection of Martens boots, including

    the made in England vintage stuff and the cheaper foreign options. I honestly only ever buy

    black/brown, so their color selection is not my area of expertise.

    [Ralph Lauren](www.ralphlauren.com), 381 W. Broadway, between Broome and Spring. This RRL

    location is probably my favorite in the city; awesome selection and a very cool layout, definitely worth

    giving a look.

    [Stussy](www.stussy.com), 176 Spring St. Cheaper (generally) streetwear option that I included because

    I enjoy their collabs. If you drop by, check out their Goretex outerwear or Penfield collaboration

    products.

    The Outliers (not actually in SoHo per se, but worth checking out if in the area)

  • [Leffot](www.leffot.com), 10 Christopher St. North and west of SoHo in the West Village, Leffot is the

    place to go for fantastic footwear. Incredibly sleek and minimal design through the showroom makes

    the entire store seem accessible and classy, but maintains a modern touch. If you want Quoddy, Alden,

    or the like, this is your place.

    [Rick Owens](www.rickowens.eu), 250 Hudson St. Technically west of SoHo, but could I have honestly

    made this guide without including Rick Owens store? The layout is exactly what youd expect, the

    clothing is exactly what youd expect, and the sales people are dressed exactly as youd expect. Just go

    for the experience on this one, whether or not you like/can afford the aesthetic.

    [Thom Browne](www.thombrowne.com), 100 Hudson St, between Franklin and Leonard. Weve moved

    south into TriBeCa, but I wanted to include Thom Brownes store because it gets mentioned so

    frequently on MFA. Ill include a much more detailed description in the TriBeCa installment.

    [Self Edge](www.selfedge.com), 157 Orchard St, between Stanton and Rivington. Weve moved a bit too

    far east for me to feel comfortable including it within the SoHo guide proper, but everyone knows Self

    Edge is the must-see go-to for raw denim enthusiasts (unless you ask certain Blue In Green fans, who

    might beg to differ). Super friendly and approachable staff who love their work and are willing to talk

    denim anytime. Great stock on all the classic raw brands.

    Brands Grouped by Relative Style

    Some brands may be featured more than once if they fall under multiple categories. Multi-brand stores

    will more or less only be included under that particular heading, so I really encourage you to check their

    websites to see what lines they stock/read the more in-depth review Ill give in the following section.

    Menswear/Suiting/Business Casually Inclined

    Suit Supply

    J Lindeberg

    Ralph Lauren

    Billy Reid

    J. Crew Mens Shop

    Bonobos

    Leffot

    John Varvatos

    Steven Alan Mens Shop

    Scotch and Soda

    Streetwear/Casual

    Supreme

    Stussy

    Converse

    Doc Martens

    APC

  • Saturdays Surf NYC

    Topshop

    Uniqlo

    Acne

    Techwear

    Icebreaker

    REI

    AETHER

    Patagonia

    Denim

    Blue in Green

    APC

    Self Edge

    3x1

    The Levis Store

    Acne

    Workwear/Americana/Heritage/British

    Carhartt WIP

    Barbour

    Doc Martens

    Multi-Label

    Creatures of Comfort

    Odin

    Surface to Air

    Opening Ceremony

    Bloomingdales

    Designers

    Jil Sander

    Thom Browne

    Alexander Wang

    Ralph Lauren

    Rick Owen

    Phillip Lim

    An Introductory Path for a Day of Shopping in SoHo

  • Im hoping this proves to be the most useful section in the entire guide, because Ive set it up

    specifically to cater to as many people as possible. I dont intend for this to be followed to the letter by

    everyone; however, it should be helpful as it will provide a sense of direction for navigating the shops of

    SoHo as well as introducing a few of the most popular stores. Moreover, itll include a few examples of

    my favorite multi-label retailers, designers, and the smaller boutiques that MFA seems so fond of. Utilize

    this section for shopping ideas and also as a guide to these specific shops. Shops in bold are the ones I

    strongly, strongly urge you to visit (though that recommendation comes from my personal taste, so

    YMMV). Italicized shops are on the suggested path and also worth a thorough look. The entire route,

    without any stops, should only take forty to forty five minutes to traverse, depending on how many red

    lights you hit. Depending on how fast you browse/move/shop, the following could take anywhere from

    an hour to the better part of your day, so plan accordingly.

    Youll start by either arriving on Houston via the B, D, F, or M trains or by taking a cab up to

    Bond St. Both are completely viable options and depending on where youre coming from should be

    relatively simple. Cabs are extremely easy to come by in this part of town, and the subway lines are so

    interconnected here that going all the way up the east or west side shouldnt prove difficult. However

    you do it, youre going to want to arrive at the corner of Bond and Bowery, where well start with

    Billy Reid: ($$-$$$) I honestly first stumbled upon this store while lusting over the famous Bond Peacoat,

    though Id heard of the clothing line itself well before that. Ended up buying that coat at this location,

    though I digress. Those familiar with Billy Reid products wont be surprised by the store itself; the

    general interior feels very homey with a classic southern vibe; brightly lit but not harshly so, wood

    everywhere. Jackets and outerwear generally line the near walls with shirts in the far corner. Most of

    the mens items are upstairs, and they tend to keep a great seasonal stock of sizes and styles. Definitely

    worth checking out for the oxford shirts, which fit great and are often on clearance in-store for presale J.

    Crew prices. The sales people have always been friendly and generally helpful, not too much to

    comment on in that regard. ASK TO SEE THEIR STOCK IF THEY DONT HAVE YOUR SIZE. When I expressed

    interest in a small Bond Peacoat in navy, the clerk walked downstairs to find a small charcoal one for size

    reference, as my desired coat was backordered months in advance. He came up with a small in navy. So,

    you never know.

    APC: ($$-$$$) The interior of APC stands in stark contrast to the Billy Reid across the street. Im not sure

    if the location is extremely new (and thus Googles refusal to acknowledge its existence), but the sleek

    wood paneling, low lighting, and minimalist design seem incredibly modern while also making the store

    simple to navigate. Clothes racks line the left wall with mostly womens stuff near the front and mens

    near the back, though theres some overlap. No real rhyme or reason to the sorting; moto jackets hang

    next to tshirts, so enjoy the search. They tend to keep a decent in-store stock of APC collaboration

    items, including the Carhartt line which Im a big fan of. Downstairs are the jeans and dressing rooms.

    Like Billy Reid, the staff is super friendly and helpful; I guess I was expecting much more pretense from

    this store, but failed to pick up that vibe at all. The younger woman who helped me pick up my first pair

    of APCs guessed my waist size and desired cut two minutes into our conversation.

  • Now were walking west on Bond St until we come to Lafayette, which well take south until we

    cross Houston. REI should be immediately in front of you; if you need to use the restroom, REI has a

    super clean public bathroom on the middle floor which is never too crowded. Take a right and continue

    heading west on Houston until you come to Crosby, and head south. On your left youll see

    Carhartt WIP: ($$) A small and simplistic store featuring three or four clothes racks and a wall mount

    with various jeans/pants combinations. Stock is always iffy here; mid season you can find varying sizes of

    pretty much every cool item, but come too soon or too late and theyre much more likely to run out,

    even compared to other small volume designer stores. That said, this means youre in serious luck if

    youre a size large; they often have clearance sales on things left over before restocks, and I saw a

    couple Carhartt WIP Battle Parkas selling for twenty percent off, a deal not featured on the website.

    Plenty of cool Americana work jackets and parkas, and also a decent selection of tees and graphic

    sweatshirts. Never had to really deal with the staff, since I always know exactly what I want when I show

    up. For anyone interested in this brand, definitely worth stopping in, as WIP runs small (and compared

    to mainline Carhartt items, super-small).

    Walk down Crosby to Prince St, and take a left. This is one of the few times well break from the

    general south and east movement pattern. Continue across Lafayette and you should find

    Scotch and Soda: ($$) You should be able to work your way through the entire stock in this store

    relatively quickly, much as was the case with Carhartt WIP. That said the clothing offered is very

    different here; I generally go for the knitwear, and the SoHo location has that in abundance, which is

    nice. Further, it always seems like the entire selection is on sale, though its still expensive relative to J.

    Crew and the like. First time Ill have to complain about staff/overall experience though. The staff wasnt

    necessarily obnoxious or rude, just a bit too aloof; I dont like pushy sales associates but it seems like

    everyone here walks above you. Also the return policy is a bit ridiculous, as those constant deals mean

    everything is marked as final sale, although they do a poor job of letting you know that. Still, the knit

    selection and the winter outerwear selection make this location a worthwhile stop while in the area.

    Get back onto Prince and travel west, crossing Lafayette and Crosby, until you get to Broadway.

    Stay on the west side of the street (so dont cross Broadway), and immediately on the right

    Converse: ($-$$) The first of many stores included in this section of the guide that Im sure some will roll

    their eyes at, as they can be found more or less anywhere in any number of mall tier stores. I hold that

    the Converse store is worth stopping by just for the ridiculously wide selection they have. Its by far the

    largest store weve encountered on this tour yet, with shoes lining every wall; all the new

    spring/summer JP styles are accounted for in an abundance of sizes, as well as Chuck Taylors in every

    imaginable colorway. Near the back you can check out the more expensive collaboration items,

    including the Converse x MMM and Comme Des Garcons. Service is fine, though it takes an oddly long

    time to actually get a pair of shoes. When I asked for some JPs in a size nine, the associate went

    immediately to the back and returned, informing me it would take about ten minutes. Apparently

  • theres some sort of queue the workers have to go through to get everyone their product. No

    complaints though, as they do get the shoes out to you and move everyone through checkout quickly.

    Uniqlo: ($) If youre going to come to SoHo, you have to stop at Uniqlo. If for no other reason than to

    experience the store and to try everything on so that you have sizing information stored away for later

    internet orders, this shop is a must see. Expansive, white, and always ridiculously crowded, the sheer

    amount of product in the store is staggering. Most of the mens stuff is upstairs, though the selvedge

    jeans and heat-tec products are located on the left side of the main floor, and the colored denim rests

    on the landing in between floors. Stock varies throughout the day; by nightfall you might not find

    anything in a size small in certain products. The walls are literally packed to the ceiling with staples like

    oxford button downs, sweatshirts, and chinos in every possible color, though, so you should find what

    youre looking for. One note: the line for the dressing room will be absurdly long. Theres just no getting

    around that. However, it moves relatively quickly and the staff effectively keeps the flow progressing

    through. The store also offers their hemming service on pants, which Ive taken advantage of and would

    recommend as the results are decent enough.

    This is the longest portion well walk without encountering a store, though there are a few in the

    area (as you can see on the Google Map) that you might want to stop and check out, should the fancy

    strike. Walk south down Broadway until you hit Spring, and head east until Mulberry. Theres a

    Starbucks along the way with another public restroom, though the line will be even worse than Uniqlos

    dressing room. Turn south on Mulberry and walk until you see

    Creatures of Comfort: ($$-$$$) Our first real multi-label store of the trip. Im guessing these are the

    types of shops people are most interested in, since everything so far more or less pertains to single

    brand stores whose shopping experience you might find inferior to their online offerings. However, the

    unique collections and varying product availability of places like CoC make them well worth the visit.

    Aside from their house brand (which makes fantastic shirting options), CoC offers selections from MMM,

    Band of Outsiders, Sunspel, and Norse Projects. In fact, CoC probably has the best Norse Project

    selection in the city, and Ive picked up a few of their sweaters at this location. Worth spending a good

    amount of time in as theres a lot to see and you dont want to miss out on certain designer offerings.

    The display settings are always changing, even midseason, so its a fun place to just browse around in for

    a little while.

    Walk south to Kenmare and then head west towards Lafayette, which you will not cross, but

    instead turn and head south. On your left is my favorite store in the entire city.

    Odin: ($$-$$$) Odin is honestly what I imagine the greatest majority of MFAers will enjoy. I know its an

    extremely diverse subreddit, but the offerings here include many brands that are suggested over and

    over again (well, insofar as moderately expensive pieces are suggested). Youre greeted with a Common

    Projects display immediately upon entering, and Odin stocks various colors of the Achilles lows, the

    derbies, and the like by CP. Things are grouped in that way; not by style, but by designer. Near the

    window is a collection of Rag & Bone stuff which I find is almost always marked down. Snagged a couple

  • nice cardigans that way. Canada Goose parkas are on the far wall. In the middle of the room youll find a

    bunch of racks of various designers; Robert Geller, Engineered Garments, and Thom Browne are all quite

    prominently featured. I love Junya Watanabes stuff and Odin carries the blazers and outerwear from

    the 2013 F/W line. Theyve done a good job recently with the transition into the new season; florals and

    bright colored shirts abound in the center of the space. The shop itself is crowded with items but

    generally pretty empty of people, and is a great place to really take your time and search around/find

    what you need. The sales associates are helpful when asked for advice or guidance but leave you more

    or less alone otherwise.

    Walk south down Lafayette until you reach Broome and turn west, heading this direction until

    you reach Broadway. Now weve reached an interesting section of Broadway that I want to collectively

    call

    Fast Fashion Lane: ($-$$) The section of Broadway from Spring Street down to Grand Street is

    completely lined with shops, the majority of which you can find pretty much anywhere else. That being

    said, Im aware of a couple points that I think warrant the inclusion of this area in our guide: firstly, not

    everyone is looking to drop a thousand dollars on Rick Owens products in a few small boutiques,

    secondly the Europeans/non-Americans who want to hit up these stores to avoid ridiculous shipping

    costs/surcharges will appreciate it, and finally theyre just a nice break back into the familiar. H&M, Old

    Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic all have massive stores in this area, each multi-floor with tons of

    product. The three I want to focus in on, however, are J. Crew, Bloomingdales, and The Levis Store.

    Going in reverse order, the Levis Store is on the far side of Broadway and opens into a single floor retail

    space with mens products more towards the back. They offer a wide selection of their fits, though the

    color options are limited unless youre looking for the most popular cuts (510s, 511s, 501s, and 514s all

    have several different washes to choose from). Truckers in both slim and normal fits are in a display

    section near the checkout area, and also come in various washes. A nice selection of Commuter Line

    products rounds off the offerings here. Unfortunately you shouldnt expect to find any Vintage or Made

    and Crafted products in this store; its all generic Levis offerings, but Im sure thats plenty for those of

    us without easy access to these jeans. Next up, Bloomingdales is back across the street and just north of

    Broome St. A public bathroom awaits anyone who forgot to go back at Starbucks or REI, so thats

    definitely a plus. This Bloomingdales has a pretty decent selection of various designer labels, though I

    recommend perusing these in the smaller boutique shops still to come, as Bloomingdales gets beyond

    crowded at peak hours. Even so, if Im looking to pick up a pair of Seavees, Sebagos, or Sperrys, this is

    the place I come to and try to get out of quickly. Finally, the J. Crew is south of Broome and back on our

    normal route. A tiny space, the storefront is probably only half the size of the womans shop a few

    blocks north and west; however, it does a great job of stocking collaborations and other harder to find J.

    Crew items. All of the shoes, from the Chippewa to Vans to Nike offerings are present. They also have a

    rack of Barbour and Arcteryx near the middle of the store, often discounted/used/clearance models.

    They also have an entire section devoted to suiting and sport coats in the back, which my local NC store

    completely lacks. So if Ludlow suits interest you, definitely make a quick stop here. The retailer workers

    can get a little unpleasant at this location but you really have to give them the benefit of the doubt; it

    gets ridiculously hectic, and theyre obviously doing the best they can. Students should remember to

  • utilize their discount. Next door is Topshop, which Ive dealt with very little and will skip over from lack

    of experience.

    Passing out of Fast Fashion Lane, were going to head down Broadway until we reach Grand

    Street and turn left, heading east. Now were about to reach my absolute favorite overall section of

    SoHo shopping. You have options here; the guide says turn south on Crosby, which you should do.

    However if youre dying for a coffee take a left and head north up Crosby to Saturdays Surf NYC. Grab

    yourself a brew (my friends who actually drink coffee really enjoy it) and take a look through the surf

    shop. Bonobos is right next store, though remember the asterisk about it being a Guide Shop. Get back

    across Grand and further down Crosby to find

    AETHERnyc: ($$-$$$) Did I say Odin was my favorite store? Im a liar, and I openly admit to that. When

    you walk into Aether you have no doubts about what kind of product youll find. A snowmobile and

    classic motorcycle meet you at the door, and shipping crates open to reveal mirrors and the checkout

    desk. The setting is dark, cool, and very minimal; a single centerpiece table and one set of shelves per

    wall hold the entire stock. Men are on the left, and I could spend hours just appreciating each jacket or

    hoodie. Hiking and climbing pamphlets abound near the computer stations the clerks use in the back, so

    anyone you may have dragged into the store with you can suffer as you peruse those as well. The staff is

    knowledgeable and helpful, probably due to the low traffic they deal with. Ive never been in the store

    with another customer present, and the three or four people working all stop to chat and discuss their

    products or just biking/climbing in general. A great atmosphere and a place you want to drop into

    occasionally just to see what new things are being stocked. Remember, the store is less than a year old,

    and theyre constantly moving things in and out of stock as the first spring season hits. Definitely a store

    to visit and revisit, just to see how it all changes. The prices are high but not ridiculously so for the

    quality of product offered, and you have plenty of room to try everything on. One final note: they pretty

    much throw free stuff at you. When I bought a few shirts, they were folded into a canvas snap bag and

    then placed that in a larger canvas tote. Im easy to please that way.

    Jil Sander: ($$$$) Ill be upfront: I dont really understand Rick Owens and Im not a huge fan of Raf

    Simmons. I guess theyre not really my style. Of all the designers MFA talks about, Jil Sander is one of the

    few I feel like I can appreciate. Walking through the doors of this corner location, youre immediately

    greeted by the newest runway fits. Take those in for a moment before heading upstairs to find the

    mens section. Like Sanders clothes, the store itself exudes a clean and unforced minimalism; it all just

    sort of works, and to put it bluntly, you never feel like youre walking amongst racks of clothes that lie

    well beyond your everyday price range. Even more surprisingly to an outsider like myself, the sales

    associates here were incredibly polite and helpful. No pretense or dismissive gestures, at least not while

    Ive been present. Even when I admitted that I was more interested in looking and satisfying my

    curiosity than buying, they left me alone without any sense of contempt. Maybe Im being way too hard

    on retail workers in general, but NYC has soured me on some aspects of upscale service. Anyway,

    upstairs youll find a fantastic assortment of Jil Sanders work. Im personally partial to the knitwear and

    shirting and spend a lot of time looking at that. Definitely a store to check out regardless of your buying

    ability.

  • Opening Ceremony: ($$$-$$$$) If you liked Jil Sanders sleek minimalism, or Aethers technical cool, or

    even Odins unadorned and traditional (albeit expensive) retail experience, then Opening Ceremony

    might jar you at first. The location itself revolves around multiple shops and a showroom and also

    features a private label collection. Im not a huge fan of the Opening Ceremony line, but the various

    other labels offered here more than make up for that. To explain the opening sentiment, though, you

    really need to see the site; the displays and racks are elaborately designed and displayed. The entire

    layout feels esoteric and purposefully complicated. That said, it does add a unique charm that

    differentiates Opening Ceremony from everything weve seen so far (or will see, for that matter). Im

    sure what everyone really cares about, however, are the brands offered. Arcteryx Veilance and Raf

    Simmons can both be found here, one of the few places in SoHo carrying either. Vans Vault, Acne,

    Sunspel, and Undercover all make strong showings as well. As you might expect from this type of

    storefront, prices are high. Like, really, really high. But then again, you just walked out of Jil Sander, so

    maybe thats not an issue. The staffs completely hit or miss, and often leans towards the miss.

    Walk west on Howard Street until you reach Mercer, where youll turn north. Wait, did you end

    up getting coffee at Saturdays Surf NYC and now you need a bathroom? Forgot to mention Opening

    Ceremony has a public one, clean and relatively empty at that. Now that were back on track, coming up

    on Mercer is

    Surface to Air: ($$$) Surface to Air is a relatively new find for me; Id heard a lot about it but never

    actually stopped by. Its another Parisian brand that targets a similar demographic to APC, though the

    store has its differences. I know theyve done collaborations with Kid Cudi in the past, and the

    streetwear influence is much more obvious here; as opposed to APCs minimalistic and militaristic

    aesthetic , Surface to Air adopts a few more vibrant colors and harkens back to American sportswear.

    They manage to maintain the APC-esque minimalism in their store design, however. Mens items are on

    the left, womens on the right, and outwear/shirting/knitwear is all mixed in together on the racks. For

    anyone who likes leather jackets, Surface to Air has an interesting collection that you might want to

    check out. Also a decent in house shoe selection. Staff was, again, similar to APC; very approachable and

    friendly, willing to help you find something specific or content to let you browse completely unmolested.

    Were coming up on the home stretch here. Take a left on Grand Street and continue westward.

    Alexander Wang: ($$$$) This store really embodies everything I expected from a designer retailer, for

    good and ill. When you first enter youll notice the two door security guards; they shouldnt give you any

    trouble, unless you start taking a bunch of flash photography. Remember how I said Billy Reid exuded an

    effortless homey feel? Wang is the exact opposite. White marble positioned next to black leather and

    fur attempts to create some modern and minimalist living space. After enjoying the vibe of Jil Sander it

    comes across a bit forced, but to be honest thats completely subjective and any substantive dcor

    review would just be me talking out the ass. The progression through the store goes from Wangs more

    fashion forward pieces to the simpler (yet by no means less expensive) line of casual clothing near the

    back. His sweatpants and sweaters are really worth checking out, the sweatpants in particular; sure,

  • theyre a couple hundred dollars, but for anyone whos ever asked why are these simple pieces so

    expensive? stores like this are a must. Youll get to touch the fabric and really inspect the quality, which

    may or may not sell you on the price, but will at least give you a basis for comparison in the future.

    Continue east on Grand Street until you come to its intersection with Greene St. This will be our

    final path down towards the finish line at Canal St. On the Northwest corner of the intersection youll

    find the second to last stop.

    Acne Studios: ($$-$$$) Weirdly, this is one store I really, really enjoy and have never purchased a single

    product from. Acne pieces are available at every single multi-label store mentioned here (except, I think,

    Odin) as well as the Steven Alan Annex only a few blocks down in TriBeCa, where I get most of my Acne

    products. Nevertheless, this store is worth a visit, both for the denim and Acnes other items. A more

    room by room shopping experience, the Acne Studios storefront has a starkness compounded by a

    relative emptiness; each room contains only a few pieces of clothing, usually in white or black. The

    clothing itself is fantastic; I love the black Max Cash jeans, and their scoop neck tshits are great quality as

    well. This particular location keeps a great stock of both, along with all the other popular denim cuts

    (usually on the skinnier side of skinny), along with some knitwear and a few jacket pieces too. I generally

    stick to the denim and the cheaper (for Acne) shirts, but Ive heard good things about the rest. However,

    youll often find Acne pieces marked down at the other locations (Steven Alan, Opening Ceremony, etc)

    before youll find them marked down here, so thats worth keeping in mind.

    The final stop is south on Grand Street right before you intersect Canal. Raw denim lovers sad

    about missing Self Edge on this tour need not despair, because up ahead is

    Blue in Green: ($$$) When I described this store to a friend not entirely sold on the raw denim culture,

    he informed me that it came across as some group of cultish samurai obsessed with jeans. Couldnt

    have said it better myself. Its a small store that you might walk right past, but inside is a treasure trove

    of Japanese fashion lines. The Japanese man whos always working here when I visit is extremely (and I

    mean extremely) knowledgeable, helpful, and ready to work with you towards finding the perfect jeans.

    Its such a different experience from Self Edge, and not for better or worse; its just different. Here youll

    find Pure Blue Japan, Momotaro, Samurai, and Eternal brand. Not looking for purely denim products?

    No problem; make sure to check out their RealMcCoy stock as well, as its one of the only places Ive

    found in SoHo that carries them (though that might be a deficit on the part of the seeker and not the

    neighborhood). Its a fantastic experience and the perfect way to end the day. Id go on in praise for this

    store, but I think anyone interested in this side of fashion needs nothing more said.

    Continue south until you arrive at Canal St. There you go; you just made your way through SoHo

    and Nolita and, hopefully, enjoyed a few stores you wouldnt have gotten to otherwise. Grab a cab

    (easily caught here or at the intersection with Avenue of the Americas, Broadway, or Lafayette) or the R,

    N, Q, or 6 trains at one of the local subway stops to get back home/to your next location. And while on

    the subject

  • Hungry? Well I cant help you in the immediate area, because all my favorite places are back where we

    started. [Aurora]( http://www.yelp.com/biz/aurora-soho-new-york) (510 Broome St) is only a few blocks

    up and over and makes great Italian food that wont completely destroy your wallet. Definitely worth a

    look. Vegetarians/Vegans might want to head back over to the corner of Spring and Lafayette for [Spring

    Street Natural]( http://www.springstreetnatural.com/index.php) (62 Spring Street), which offers fresh

    and organic fare for your dietary lifestyles and also doesnt break the bank (try the tofu or seitan stir fry

    classic style). Finally, if youre the type to plan ahead, make a reservation for [Balthazar](

    http://www.balthazarny.com/) (80 Spring St) and enjoy high quality, traditional French bistro food. A

    favorite of mine, though I admit I can only afford to eat here once a semester or so.

    Looking for a Beer? Maybe youre a bit worn out by the showiness and materialism of SoHo after the

    shopping day, and want something a bit more real. In that case, go check out [Fanellis](

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/fanellis-cafe-new-york) (94 Prince St). Service is awful, the bartender is usually

    an asshole, and the place is ridiculously old and usually packed. I love it for all those things, and its a

    nice place to escape to. If you want something a bit cooler (and admittedly I usually do), check out [Bar

    Veloce]( http://winebarveloce.com/) (156 W. Houston St) for some Italian beers or grappa, while eating

    some of the best Italian style bar food (more types of burschetta than Ive ever seen) in the SoHo area.

    Im sure in the comments some locals will have suggestions far better than mine/will lambast me for

    these, but I enjoy my time there and maybe you will too. Round the night off by hitting up [La Esquina](

    http://www.esquinanyc.com/) (114 Kenmare St) and grabbing some fresh tacos from the window-

    service taqueria. Youre welcome to grab a table inside as well.

    Closing Thoughts

    Hopefully a few of you find this guide useful and use it to visit some stores you might not have

    found otherwise. Surely youll enjoy SoHo more meandering through at your own pace towards your

    own goals, but feel free to take the provided path as a basis from which to build your own. Also be sure

    to check online for other ratings and reviews, as I know one guys opinions dont make for a great

    sample size. One final listing Ill include here, in case you didnt read through all of the tour, are the

    various public restroom facilities located in the area. So if you need a bathroom, check: REI,

    Bloomingdales, Opening Ceremony, both Starbucks locations (Spring St or Broadway), and the various

    hotels in the area (walk in like you know what youre doing, no one will stop you).

    Above all, enjoy your visit to SoHo and NYC. If you enjoyed this guide and would like more,

    express that interest. My next area would probably be Brooklyn or TriBeCa, whichever those interested

    prefer (or some other locale).