cherrypatter nyc
and great ideas for what to do too!
eryn brinie: zara but better
most of the time, i fail if i shop for clothes at a big chain. other than visiting banana republic for work pants (and they are good for that — so many different fits for the same basic styles), j. crew for t-shirts and occasionally poking my head in places like uniqlo, h&m and zara (haven’t made it to topshop yet), i am usually overwhelmed with the choices and the chaos. one of the stores that had been on my list for a while was eryn brinie. i actually thought it was a boutique. people kept raving about the sense of style, and trendy but still accessible pieces. i definitely didn’t realize it was part of a huge chain in korea (30 shops there) and surprised when i found it right in the middle of a part of soho i nearly always try to avoid — that tourist packed lane that is broadway.
although the shop looked huge (and it is big), i ventured in. the feel of eryn brinie is a bit like like zara but other than the fact that the collection is constantly being updated (they bring in new pieces every few days) it totally isn’t a zara experience. first, it’s much calmer. there’s a much more limited, more carefully edited selection. many of the pieces look like they could be mixed and matched pretty easily. this fall, eryn brinie’s palate was pretty muted with lots of browns, dark greys and blues. although there were some trendy pieces (i just cannot and would not have my family suffer seeing me in a jumpsuit) there were plenty of great layering cardigans, cotton and silk-like blouses and some really cute stand alone sweaters. i wasn’t as keen on the pants as i’m guessing they look better on someone super tall and thin who wears very high heels.
eryn brinie also had tons of cute accessories for cheap – chunky necklaces, fun bracelets. it would be so easy to indulge in a few or get some as great little presents. eryn brinie also had some really great looking super soft and supple leather jackets in these great colors that i desperately wanted. with a small but fashionable selection of bags, as well as shoes and boots, it would be super easy to leave eryn brinie with a whole new smart looking wardrobe for not much money. so finally i might have found a “big box” for me — zara but better. eryn brinie, 501 broadway near broome street, manhattan, new york, .
They have great stuff. I too found it by accident. Next time I face the madness of SoHo I have to remember to go there.