A lot of you ask me about my favorite brands and favorite stores in New York City. Well, a couple of weeks ago I had a friend visiting and she said that, since her last visit, a lot of things have changed and she needed some tips on good prices but good quality brands and places to shop. So, to kill two birds with one stone, nothing better than writing a blog to give you both: my all-time favorite brands and where most of my closet comes from.
Let me start by saying that this is not an easy blog to write. I would much prefer not to open up about my favorite brands and designers, since I know judgment will come my way. But, hey, we all have our own tastes and our own priorities. To this day, even if I am budgeting, designer clothes will be my top priority instead of eating food - lol, but for real!
Even though I am about to tell you my favorite brands and designers, let’s be real, I also shop in thrift shops and I also buy fast fashion clothes. To be quite honest, lately, if I see something that I like, I buy it without looking where it is from. So, to make this blog easier and more realistic, let’s break it into two categories:
Favorite Brands/ Designers: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, Jeremy Scott & Karl Lagerfeld.
Cutting straight to the point here! These are my all-time favorite brands/designers. Not exactly in this order because, honestly, I love them all - ok, maybe Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, and McQueen are my top three…
Regardless of who gets to be number one (I seriously can’t choose), can you see a similarity between these designers? Sexy/chic appeal with a little bit of Rockstar influence. Obviously, Lagerfeld falls into the chic, while Jeremy Scott is a very particular mix of creativity, color, and authenticity.
The use of leather, sexy and chic cuts mixed with traditional tailored pieces and trends. Everything I stand for!
Where do I really shop?
1. In New York City: All Saints, Rag & Bone, Zadig&Voltaire, Macy’s & Bloomingdale's
I am just going to cut straight to the chase here as well because, to be honest, I never leave my house thinking “today I am going shopping”. When I want to go shopping, I go to these particular stores because I know I will find things I like.
Notice anything similar between these stores and my favorite designers? Well, a lot of leather, great denim quality, sexy and trending pieces along with tailored and perfect for everyday garments - especially All Saints and Zadig&Voltaire.
2. Online Shopping: Skywear Thread, MVMT For Her, Schutz, Guria Beachwear
To be clear, all the stores that I love shopping in NYC can also be found online. Actually, the reason why I spend most of my money on clothes is that All Saints is constantly popping up on my Instagram feed with new stuff - lol, but for real!
You can certainly find my favorite stores online, but talking about particular brands that do not have physical stores in New York, then we are talking about Skywear Thread, MVMT For Her, Schutz, and Guria Beachwear.
Skywear Thread is for great quality and nice-cut workout clothes. MVMT For Her if you are looking for good quality jewelry (including watches). Schutz for great quality and good price leather shoes. And, finally, Guria Beachwear for great quality (and decent price) bikinis, coverups, hats, and beach accessories.
PS: both Schutz and Guria Beachwear are Brazilian brands, so you know that quality and style are great - especially if we are talking leather shoes and bikinis, you know what I mean? They do have stores in Miami, but I am not sure if they have any physical stores in New York, which is why I get them online - Schutz is part of 260 Sample Sale, so sometimes you can find pop-up stores in New York.
3. International Shopping (because I am from Brazil and I know the good stuff over there): Lança Perfume, Colcci, John john Denim, Jorge Bischoff
All of these brands can be compared to All Saints, Rag & Bone, and Zadig&Voltaire. Maybe not directly comparing them because, after all, they are Brazilian brands and they follow trends but focused on their Brazilian customers. In terms of quality, materials, and brand name, then we can certainly compare them to my favorite stores in NYC.
Let me tell you, if you ever get to shop for any of these brands, you will not be disappointed. They are the main reason why I enjoy good quality clothes! I grew up being taught to shop in these stores instead of spending money every season on fast fashion.
“Quality over quantity” is my forever motto! Either we are talking about basic everyday clothes, dressier clothes, or workout clothes. Don’t forget, buying quality clothes will help you save money in the long run since you will buy them once instead of buying new pieces every season because low-quality clothes don’t last. Let’s face it though, we all buy fast fashion clothes. At some point in our lives, we all do that. And that is okay! There is no problem in doing so.
Fast fashion is a market that will forever exist, just stop and think about third world countries where massive consumption is an issue and most of the population are not able to afford higher quality clothes… it is a sad reality, but in a certain way it works and keeps most third world countries economy flowing exactly because fast fast fashion is all what majority of the population can afford - it is accessible! So believe me, buying fast fashion clothes is normal and we all do it, but that is not the problem with this market. The problem with fast fashion is how it is made, the impact it causes on the environment, and the effect on millions of people who work in this industry.
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