Affects of Heritage

Cultivating personal taste is an ethereal expression. Many shops and designers are trying to replicate the ad hoc nature of individuals wardrobes in their stores. One such example is the Liquor Store, owned by J.Crew. Much of the space is the vestiges of the previous occupant, an elegant dark wooden bar and shelves that still have bottles(which one is suppose to think remained from the previous occupant). Liquor Store and similar boutiques are furnished to styles more than brand and in this case the Liquor Store's dernier cri is about heritage fashion: Alden wingtips, Fidora's and, anything else that resurrects the memories of Hemingway. On my recent jaunt to New York I visited the the Liquor Store in search of heritage couture affects. I had a particular piece in mind, a tie clip with a tailor's shear motif. To my surprise the store manager Bret, after i had inquired about tie clips, reaches behind the bar and proceeds to open a manila envelope and pour a dozen vintage tie clips on the bar. It was a prime example of why brands such as J.Crew are beginning to open such boutiques, they are able to establish themselves as a nexus of style rather than a brand.