Best cities for high end shopping destinations 2020
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May I invite you down to Philadelphia to visit one of DiBruno Bros.' locations?
What began in 1939 as a rather cramped cheese shop in the famed Italian Market (and the Italian Market store is still a cramped space dominated by cheese and salumi) has morphed into a fine foods emporium along the lines of Dean & DeLuca.
The Rittenhouse Square store in the 1800 block of Chestnut Street is the best example of the metamorphosis. Its second level houses a restaurant named Alimentari while the main floor contains a cheese counter to die for at the back (and if they don't have what you're looking for, they'll be able to get it for you). In the large space between the entrance and the cheese counter you will find a large center section devoted to prepared foods to take home, shelves and refrigerator cases filled with packaged gourmet foods and grab 'n' go salads and sandwiches, and loaves of crusty bread. A small wing that branches off the main store just before the cheese counter and leads to a door on 19th Street contains the butcher shop, which has plenty of high-grade meats (though I've heard the disturbing news recently that they no longer prepare their custom cuts in the store).
A smaller store on Chestnut at 9th, on the 9th Street side, has more freshly prepared sandwiches and salads made to order and a selection of beers (including two or three rotating beers on tap) instead of the vast prepared-foods counters.
What I haven't seen there is coffee (didn't Dean & DeLuca carry it?). But you can go over to the Reading Terminal Market for that.
Taking notes because I am ALL about gourmet grocery stores!
Thank you very much, I love learning about new cities, and yes I miss Dean & Deluca. The store on Broadway/Prince in NYC was on my way home so naturally I was there DAILY.
Thank you again for the informative and wonderful post!
(I’m stress posting and procrastinating because I’m moving in 2 weeks!)
(I love Berluti. Too bad I’m not a man. Just saw a leather jacket on Bergdorf website, beautiful craft. “Only” $7500. Their products look bespoken.)
I just bought an LVMH-published guide of Miami, and I agree it’s still one of the top brands globally. Unfortunately brands like LVMH, Tiffany, Fendi and even Gucci or Chanel have been trickled down so much. I just saw someone I know posted online attending a wedding in Four Seasons in Miami carrying the LV “Neverfull” tote, which is the basic of the most basic of the basic LV bags.-I found it cringy with plastering logos all over.
The best “luxury” is nobody can tell where you get your clothes/shoes/bags are from.
That's true, and it also dates you.
We've gone from the era when people didn't advertise who they were wearing (or did so discreetly, as Brooks Brothers aficionados have done for decades) to an era when people plaster names and logos all over themselves to advertise their status. (But perhaps it's worth noting that the first people to do this were those with either little status or a lot of status anxiety.)
Using this post to add a wry aside:
When those two French firms — the one that made pricey spirits and the one that made the bags —*merged, there must have been a huge clash of egos at the top, for the firm's full name is LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. (IOW, each insisted on having their name first in some form.) Well, everyone calls it LVMH for short; sorry, Moët.
I do, however, see that LVMH has one "downmarket" brand in its stable: the Sephora cosmetics chain.
Gucci in the Galleria will expand to a 2 story space. Louis Vuitton and Fendi expanding to larger stores too. Prada moving into a new bigger space (their older store was mostly a temporary store)
You completely revived my love for Bloomingdale’s! Thank you for your post!
First of all, completely get what you said about Bergdorf. I love Bergdorf but it’s quite “ladies who lunch” (so not really my crowd either. Think someone like Anna Wintour & Jackie O.) whereas Barneys was more modern, young(er), (for lack of better word) “edgy”, and refreshing. My office was at 57th & 5th, on the way to the subway I would swing by Barneys at Madison & 60th (NR subway. N & R passed the chicest stores, Barneys & Dean & Deluca-both of them RIP.) then got stuck there shopping or just worshipping. Barneys literally made the best private label cashmere sweaters and handbags (black totes & military style bags.). BG restaurant upstairs in Bergdorf is very, very nice but I always felt like I had to sit like a proper lady whereas Freds in Barneys was less “refine”, less “proper”. Barneys also had the coolest ladies’ room that I always joked I wanted to live inside. lol.
You just reminded me I haven’t shopped at Bloomingdale’s for a while. I used to buy its private label Aqua for my daughter when she was little.(Helena, Neiman Marcus’ private label, is also very exquisite in quality and design.) Now she’s a teenager, I’m going to buy Aqua for women so she and I can share together.-I just went to Bloomdale’s (thanks to you!) and was so pleasantly surprised by how many Aqua summer tops/dresses I like to buy. The quality was always very good.
Overall all these luxury department stores have been around for a good reason. Their merchandises are very top notch. (I’m really impressed with the iPhone case and AirPod case from Neiman with this Swedish brand called Richmond Finch.-I used to go through new iPhone cases every few months. This one has been going strong for over 1.5 yr now with zero crack. Very beautiful design too.) I’ve bought really nice quality dinnerware/tea sets/vases from both Neiman & Saks, and found Bergdorf (while excellent) a bit too overpriced (I saved more money buying directly from London-free shipping no less from Liberty-than from Bergdorf, although you pay no state sale tax if you buy at Bergdorf to an out of state address since Bergdorf only has only store in NYC.) I’m going to check Bloomingdale’s home furnishing department too.
Don’t you miss Helmut Lang?! I miss his label and Jil Sander. And Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten. I’m the huge fan of ‘90s Minimalism design.
My friends and I used to say:
“In Barneys We Trust.”
I can't rep you again, but great post, and glad I could help with Bloomingdale's!
And yes to your last parts! (and Fred's was always a great time for brunch).
"Balenciaga opened a stand-alone store in Chicago Tuesday at 15 East Oak Street. The two-level, 6,900-square foot store offers Balenciaga's women's and men's ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear and jewelry. The shop, which is Balenciaga's first in Chicago, will open with summer 2024 and fall 2024 collections and the latest Le City and Rodeo handbags."
"Ralph Lauren completed a renovation of its Michigan Avenue flagship in Chicago . . . . The location is the retailer’s largest store and the first to add an adjacent restaurant. Originally opened more than 25 years ago, the flagship is 37,000 square feet spread over four floors. With a new design inspired by late 1800s Gilded Age, as well as the retailer’s New York City flagship in the Rhinelander Mansion on 72nd Street, the store includes vintage fixtures, antique brass hardware, artwork and a bay window overlooking Michigan Avenue."
"Balenciaga opened a stand-alone store in Chicago Tuesday at 15 East Oak Street. The two-level, 6,900-square foot store offers Balenciaga's women's and men's ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear and jewelry. The shop, which is Balenciaga's first in Chicago, will open with summer 2024 and fall 2024 collections and the latest Le City and Rodeo handbags."
"Ralph Lauren completed a renovation of its Michigan Avenue flagship in Chicago . . . . The location is the retailer’s largest store and the first to add an adjacent restaurant. Originally opened more than 25 years ago, the flagship is 37,000 square feet spread over four floors. With a new design inspired by late 1800s Gilded Age, as well as the retailer’s New York City flagship in the Rhinelander Mansion on 72nd Street, the store includes vintage fixtures, antique brass hardware, artwork and a bay window overlooking Michigan Avenue."
Oak St. district has been on fire over the last year.
There's been new stand-alone boutiques from Bruno Cuccinelli, Amiri, Celine, Cartier, Balenciaga, Loewe, Akris, Bape, Bottega Veneta, Burdeen's Fine Jewelry and an expansion of Razny Jewelers. Goyard is renovating a building on Oak to open its first store as well.
Dior has opened their long awaited boutique in King of Prussia.
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