Like many forms of expression, fashion is an expression of individuality and personal taste. I enjoy clothes that is simple and comfortable, though often with cute and clever designs. This can range anywhere from somewhat higher end Tokidoki clothing and jewelry to Forever 21′s stylish and reasonably priced designs. I’m also a big fan of Victoria’s Secret lounge wear, though Old Navy makes plenty of comfortable clothes too.
As a once avid concert goer, I also enjoy well-designed band merchandise and music-inspired clothing. Junk Food and RVCA are both good examples of clothing makers that incorporate music in their designs. Some of the coolest designs I’ve seen lately are from the $10 shirt of the day designs by Woot! It’s a community based site that allows users to submit and vote on their favorite designs for a certain theme. Themes are often tech, gaming, and music-related.
My favorite fashion find of the year is a newer brand called Spicy Brown, which features cute and colorful designs of such unique characters as Tofu Robot, Kokeshi Ink, Sushi Neko, and Protect Panda. There’s an excellent store that recently opened in Eagle Rock, CA called Leanna Lin’s Wonderland, which is currently displaying some original artwork by a couple of Spicy Brown’s talented designers, as well as selling many kinds of Spicy Brown clothing and accessories.
Another fashion staple is American Apparel, which puts simple classic pieces next to the outrageously flashy. From simple tees and tanks to shiny lame leggings, they’ve got you covered. One more brand I’ve recently discovered is Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing maker with the simplicity and style you might expect from the Gap, but possibly more reasonably priced. I say possibly because their only US store is in New York, which is a long way for me.
One last store/brand I’d like to mention is H&M, who unfortunately do not have an online store in the US, but have expanded all to having physical stores in the US. They combine simple style and reasonable prices with quality materials and design. The only downside is that their sizes run small (as does American Apparel), so choosing one size larger is usually better than going smaller.
