50 Clothing Stores that Stand Out

What does it take to create a memorable store experience in the uber-competitive apparel business? The New York Times attempted to answer that query by recently publishing a story on what it called “The 50 Best Clothing Stores in America.” Virtually all those locales are independent small businesses whose common denominators include being “surprising and satisfying,” the newspaper said.

Click here for the roster of stores on the list. (Note: the list is behind a paywall.) The stores making the roster range – alphabetically, at least – from A Ma Maniére, which the newspaper described as “a streetwear empire’s crown jewel” in Washington, D.C., to Windthrow, a Seattle-based seller “of funky, functional apparel.”

And here is Times Style Reporter Steve Kurutz’s introductory text on what it took to make the list, and why the Times undertook the task:

“Walking into a great clothing store is like taking a vacation. A spell is cast. You are transported to a different world, if only for 10 minutes. A great store will make you think about who you are — and may change that perspective in real time. Much like the visitor to Paris feels they could wear a beret, the customer browsing a great store suddenly envisions themselves in pony-hair knee-high boots or an Italian power suit.

“This list comprises stores that are distinctive and inspirational (most are independent small businesses). Stores whose proprietors deserve praise and exposure. Stores intently focused on the customer experience. Stores that are surprising and satisfying and, above all else, keep alive the thrill of in-person shopping in this age of e-commerce.”