What brands should I buy in America?

froo

I'm going to Florida in April and want to do some shopping!
I plan to go to Abercrombie/Hollister/Gilly Hicks, Victoria's Secret, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, these kina shops, basically ones that we don't have or are really expensive here!
Are there any other shops I should look out for that are popular in the US that we don't have yet?!

Thanks

Dohnny Jepp

If you're going to orlando, you'll likely be staying on international drive. At either end of the road, there are premium outlet stores. Which have every branded shop you can think of! ( except abercrombie you gotta go to the florida mall for that). The florida mall is a lil off international drive so you can't get the I Ride to it, it wouldnt cost more than $10 to get there though.

Assuming you're going orlando.

Also buy a second suitcase while u're there and put everthing you buy into it. It'll be an extra $60 coming home though.

Pythia

Don't forget make up! Sephora is great for it, doesn't stock Mac though.

froo

Thanks guys,
I'm actually stayin in Miami with my aunt.
Been googlin where to go, have come up with Sawgrass Mills, an outlet centre and Aventura, a shopping centre. But I'm sure she'll know the best places while I'm there..

borderlinemeath

I've been to Sawgrass Mills, it is great, from memory it doesn't have Hollister or A&F, but I was there in late 09 so they may have arrived since! Get yourself a map from one of the information desks, and a discount booklet to get a further % off certain brands.

It is massive so be prepared to do a couple of trips and make sure to wear comfortable shoes! There's lots of sports outlets and I ended up buying a new pair of runners halfway through the day as I got sore feet.:D Get yourself a "smartcart" trolley, for $5, it's like a little shopping trolley that you can put all your bags in. The only shop that I found it difficult to move in with the cart was American Eagle, everything was so tightly packed.

One thing I was not prepared for in US stores is just how bloody long it takes the cashiers to take for your purchase. There's no panic on them at all to get rid of a queue!

Sometimes the best bargains can be found in Saks off 5th or Nieman Marcus, but you have to root for them and they're quite tired/old stores. My niece got a L.A.M.B (Gwen Stefani) handbag in Saks for $152 reduced from about €400. I got a pair of Marc Jacobs sunglasses and a pair of Roberto Cavalli sunglasses in Nieman Marcus for $16 each. I also got a pair of Joes Jeans for $59 in Saks (and they usually retail for about $180).
My sister also got a couple of pairs of really nice Levis in their outlet store for $20 each.

Also spent a small fortune in Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Fossil, Victorias Secret, Kate Spade, Gap (great for basics), Timberland, and loads more that I can't remember!

Happy shopping!

lainey316

American Eagle and Aeropostale sound like they'd be worth a look for you. Outlets are a mixed bag, a lot of stuff appears to be specifically created for the outlet stores. Tommy Hilfiger does have a lot of nice stuff in the outlets tho. If it's your first outlet trip, it's inevitable you'll fall into the "but it's only $15, why not" trap - it's sometimes not even worth the $15

PacSun is good for skate/surf wear.

Keep an eye out for DSW - designer shoe warehouse - has a mix of oddments where you can find a real designer bargain ( marc jacobs etc) like saks off 5th/neiman marcus in outlets - and brands like nine west and steve madden in a more normal range of sizes and layout, often buy one get one half price.

J. Crew and Banana Republic are perhaps a bit too old I'm guessing, but they can have lovely things.

Packing for the US now I pack a carry on, and stick that in a bigger suitcase, so I have one going and two coming back.

Stench Blossoms

borderlinemeath wrote: »

One thing I was not prepared for in US stores is just how bloody long it takes the cashiers to take for your purchase. There's no panic on them at all to get rid of a queue!

This also drove me insane. I don't think they could possibly go any slower.

+ for makeup. Sephora is great and if you sign up instore for a membership (and then spend a lot) you'll get a free gift.

Last time I was there I got a travel Benefit mascara, full size blusher and a travel primer.

thefly

froo wrote: »

I'm going to Florida in April and want to do some shopping!
I plan to go to Abercrombie/Hollister/Gilly Hicks, Victoria's Secret, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, these kina shops, basically ones that we don't have or are really expensive here!
Are there any other shops I should look out for that are popular in the US that we don't have yet?!

Thanks

Let me guess, you go to UCD?

Quite possibly the worst list of shops I have ever seen.

dudara

@thefly If you have nothing constructive to add, then please don't post.

dudara

FueledByAisling

It sounds weird but stock up on white t-shirts and denims, I always find the quality is better for them over there and a third of the price! Also what I did was just went into random stores that I didn't know and found some really nice stuff!

Blue/Wet Seal and Pacsun are more kind of surfer/skater stuff but you can find some really nice stuff there!

froo

lainey316 wrote: »

If it's your first outlet trip, it's inevitable you'll fall into the "but it's only $15, why not" trap - it's sometimes not even worth the $15

Great point. I'm sure it's v easy for this to happen in an outlet! I do wanna go a little shopping crazy while I'm there but need to be careful not to get carried away, especially the way the exchange rate is.

Thanks for the tips everyone!

thefly wrote: »

Let me guess, you go to UCD?

Quite possibly the worst list of shops I have ever seen.

And no, I don't go to UCD.

solerina

I love American Eagle for great casual gear, and you really should treat yourself to a pair of designer jeans, they are way cheaper than here.....Rockin Republic (i think) 7 for all mankind etc...I wish I was heading over now !! oh and I try to buy a nice pair of shoes, got fab 9 west ones last time, in a Premium Outlet and really cheap

EasyGame

The quality of the clothing produced by Aeropostale and American Eagle is far inferior to that of A&F/Hollister/Other A&F brands. The style isn't to my liking, but if I were going for that style I'd certainly stick with A&F brands over the others as you'll get more out of what you buy.

Your question is really broad, if you narrow it down a bit in terms of what kinds of clothing you're into, you'd get a better recommendation.

tinkerbell

If you're into premium jeans like Rock & Republic, 7 For All Mankind, etc. make sure you go to SAKS or Neiman Marcus. Jeans that cost over €300 here usually are around $200 in the US.

Twee.

Levi's for jeans, they're so cheap! Under $70, when you'd pay about €100+ for them here.

I like Aeropostale, and their prices. I only wanted the track pants/hoodies/vest tops for lounging around the house so there was no point in paying A&F prices in my case.

Cherry Blossom Girl

froo wrote: »

Thanks guys,
I'm actually stayin in Miami with my aunt.
Been googlin where to go, have come up with Sawgrass Mills, an outlet centre and Aventura, a shopping centre. But I'm sure she'll know the best places while I'm there..

Hey OP, I was in Florida in December and visited both these places.

Be prepared for Sawgrass Mills to be jam packed!! No matter what time you go there are crowds of people there, and often queues to get into some of the outlets (Mostly Coach and Michael Kors when I was there). It could have been because I was there over the holiday season but it was seriously so crowed it was unpleasant. It might be a little quieter when you are there. But I would advise you to go early anyway because parking was manic when I was there, took about 10 mins to find a spot.
Like others said, definitely get a map of the place and pick out where you want to go, you will probably need more than one trip to get everywhere. And so you know, there is also a mall as well as the outlets, so don't miss it!

Aventura is amazing but huge!! You will probably need more than one day here as well as there is so much walking trying to get around, you will be wrecked ( or maybe I'm just unfit ) But seriously there is probably every shop you could want here, it's just a matter of finding them all - I found the map a little hard to follow. A tip for Aventura is, if you have a car and it's busy, use the valet parking. It is only $6 and so much less hassle than having to find a spot and then walk a mile to the entrance. The valet parking is beside the Grand Lux cafe entrance

Definitely stock up on make-up, like others said, don't miss Sephora, there is a big one in Aventura which I sadly only discovered on my last day there! Macy's also have all the make-up counters like you would have in BT's or Debenhams here. I got some really nice t-shirts in American Eagle, they often have a buy-one-get-the-second-half-price offer too which is good and I find them good quality.

Have a fab time, wish I could go back!

Edit: One more thing, If you are near Aventuta, pay a visit to the Gulfstream village - it's in Hallandale, about 15 mins from Aventuta. It has some really nice, unique shops, not many designers except Rock&Republic jeans, but totally worth a visit IMO (lots of shoe shops! ) There is one shop there called Charming Charlies it has gorgeous, inexpensive jewellery, bags, scarves and accessories in literally every colour you could want! I love it! There are also some very nice restaurants in the village (especially an Italian - can't remember the name) so you and your aunt could have a nice lunch :-) And there's an Irish pub if you're missing home, though I didn't visit it so can't tell you what it's like.

figarofigaro

This is really brainless consumerism at it's purest.

Twee.

figarofigaro wrote: »

This is really brainless consumerism at it's purest.

This is the Fashion forum. We talk about clothes.

If you don't have anything to add to the conversation don't post.

Please keep on topic.

Thanks.

froo

I have a few pairs of Rock & Republic jeans, and I have to say, I've never had jeans fit me better. Though I've been looking up where to get them and it seems the company has gone bankrupt.. Looks like they're going to be sold in Kohl's now for like $40 or something?? Anyone know anything about this?
Also had 7 for all mankind, and they're great too, so I'll def be looking out for jeans! Though thats a job and a half!

Been on American Eagle and Aeropostale websites, will def be payin them a visit.

Hoping to pick up a nice designer bag too!

Doing nothing between now and April to save all my money for this trip, lol!!

Bright__Eyes wrote: »

One more thing, If you are near Aventuta, pay a visit to the Gulfstream village - it's in Hallandale, about 15 mins from Aventuta. It has some really nice, unique shops, not many designers except Rock&Republic jeans, but totally worth a visit IMO (lots of shoe shops! ) There is one shop there called Charming Charlies it has gorgeous, inexpensive jewellery, bags, scarves and accessories in literally every colour you could want! I love it! There are also some very nice restaurants in the village (especially an Italian - can't remember the name) so you and your aunt could have a nice lunch :-)

Thanks so much for this Bright_Eyes! Gulfstream village looks gorgeous and Charming Charlies sounds great, hopefully get a wee visit to it! Sounds like both Aventura and Sawgrass are gonna be insane! But seem to be the best places to go for shopping!

quietriot

There's a really good 7 for all mankind store in the flatiron district. Google Map.

If you haven't bought 7 before, keep in mind that the denim tends to loosen as you wear them so buy them fitted tight. You should generally wear them for a week or two before washing them so they mold to your shape and when you wash them, the legs will get slightly shorter.

The staff there are very helpful anyway. I got two pairs last time I was there and had them (the store) send them away for alterations to the leg. $15 per pair for the alteration and they were back in 3-4 days. I wouldn't have 7 jeans altered by someone not familiar with the brand though.