The Four B's of Designer Shopping
Upon entering the fashion scene of New York City, you may have heard about "The Four B's". These are, in no particular order, Bloomie's, Bergdorf's, Bendel's, and Barneys. Any fashionista's trip is incomplete without a trip to these four fashion havens. The way to determine which to visit first or which to skip if it's not for you, is in knowing the specifics and unique attributes of each:
Bloomie's is of course, Bloomingdale's, a mecca of NY shopping. A store that takes up an entire block (59th to 60th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue) and boasts over 8 floors of merchandise, this is the destination when shopping with the entire family. It has everything from childrenswear to high high end womens and menswear, as well as home decor. It is also the place to go if you don't want to break the bank (relatively speaking).
Bergdorf Goodman (Fifth Ave at 57th Street) is the place to go for the outfits you see in Vogue magazine. From young designers like Zac Posen to seasoned brands like Chanel, if you can afford it, Bergdorf may be your one stop shop.
Henri Bendel's (Fifth Ave at 56th Street) is just womenswear, so leave your boyfriend somewhere male friendly. If you get past the vultures spraying you with perfume on the first floor, Bendel's is fantastic for anyone under 50. The store definitely caters to a younger demographic, so anything you have recently seen on a young celebrity in the tabloids is hanging in Bendel's waiting for the next trend to arrive.
Barneys (Madison Avenue and 60th Street) has the clothes you will see in next month's Vogue. It prides itself on smaller, independent labels as the meat of the store, interspersed with monster brand names, all with monster price tags. Chances are if you buy a fabulous dress at Barneys, you'll be the only one at a party with it on. For one, no one will have heard of the brand, and also, you just took out a second mortgage to pay for it.
The 4 B's will keep you busy in the city, so enjoy! And just remember, whatever you buy, it's worth it.
