New York: Part Fashion

I'm not that impressed by H&M. I walked in expecting to be transported to some super-hip fashion paradise, and found myself in The Gap. Okay, that's harsh, but I found that the men's clothes there were pretty boring. The women's clothes were fun, though.

I don't claim to be that fashionable. I try to dress nicely, but I have only a basic understanding of what makes something work, fashion-wise. When I've needed to look good, I've always recurred to a basic slacks-and-nice-shirt style, and that's gotten me through some tough times. That said, I'm trying to vary my style a little and take a few risks, partially because I don't want to bore my girlfriend, and partly because...well, slacks. Really.

So I went shopping in New York to make some inroads in both pleasing my girlfriend and myself (in the sartorial sense, wink). And, like I said, I was disappointed by H&M: I bought a green shirt at the one in SoHo and sort of puttered through the other ones* we visited.

But Uniqlo, lord, god. That store is amazing.

I never thought I could really have fun shopping, as I've always viewed it as kind of a utilitarian enterprise in which you got the best selection while spending the least possible amount of time and money in a store.

Uniqlo has a wall of amazing Japanese t-shirts. It has cool music playing inside. Its bags are covered with colorful, filigreed designs (I kept mine). While I was browsing, I spotted a trio of black men in their late teens who were dressed head to toe in old-school hip hop gear, but not ironically. They were simply dressed that way because it was cool, and I was amazed. I even stared for a second. And I bought three things.

Well, now that I've finished my ham handed attempt at fashion writing, let me give you a rundown of the rest of the trip:

1. I saw noted improv team Death by Roo Roo perform at UCB. It was great.
2. Went to MoMA on Friday. Also great.
3. Ate at Katz's Deli. Great.
4. Went dancing. Great.
5. Met/hung out with a bunch of Becky's old friends. Also great. They have glamorous jobs and are generally fun.

And that pretty much sums it up. It was a frantic couple of days, but completely worth it.

*There is one on every goddamn corner in Manhattan.