Where to Wear New York: Shopping Guide

At the time of this writing, it has been about 3 years since the last "Where to Wear" for New York was published, and I haven't seen any new "Where to Wear" guides since 2006. I don't know if this line of shopping guides will ever be updated, but the 2006 edition is still the best fashion guide for New York. It was written by three fashion journalists: Jill Fairchild, Gerri Gallagher, and Julie Craik. Whether the guide is comprehensive depends on your perspective. There are 288 pages in the Store Directory, with typically 3 stores listed per page. Nothing that I have specifically looked for has been omitted, except by a printing defect, but off-pricers seem to be underrepresented. The bulk of "Where To Wear" is the Store Directory, where stores that primarily sell fashions or accessories, contemporary and vintage, are listed alphabetically. For each store, there is a description of the type of merchandise they carry, symbols that indicate men, women, or children, address, phone number, store hours, neighborhood, price guide (affordable, moderate, expensive, luxury), and a web address when available. The web addresses are useful, because you can always take a look at the web site to get an idea of what they carry. This is a good strategy if you are planning a shopping trip and don't want to waste time with stores that probably won't be to your taste. After the Store Directory, there is a Stores by Neighborhood section, with maps and stores listed by neighborhood for 12 areas of Manhattan and one list for Brooklyn. After that, there is a list of Stores by Category and lists of Restaurant, Health & Beauty, and Repairs & Services establishments that could be useful. There are some printing defects in my copy that have caused me some frustration: Two pages in the M's are repeated, which means that 2 pages of stores are missing. There is some repetition in the Stores by Category section that appears to be an editing problem, so I'm not sure if anything has been left out. The printing problems may or may not occur in every copy of the book. Despite its faults and age, "Where to Wear 2006: New York" is helpful if you are planning a trip to New York or want to order something from one of these stores. You can see what's out there, and the internet makes it even more useful, as you can check out the stores' style and some of their merchandise online. Unfortunately, the guide is out-of-print as of this writing, and the Where to Wear web site is no longer functional. But if you will be shopping New York for clothes or accessories, for yourself or for children, it's worth picking up a copy of this guide -even if you live in NYC. When I lived there, I found shopping guides very helpful in learning what and where my options were.

Extremely helpful for all fashionistas. Makes a great gift for clients as well. Very well researched and a fun read.

The most amazingly organized, concise, factual shopping guide there is. A fabulous stocking stuffer.....stuffed with tidbits, locations, telephone #'s. Absolutely guaranteed to produce a call from you credit card company. This title, along with its worldwide sisters, should not be missed. If you're going through customs, leave the European ones with friends.....they're a sure tip off that you've been in a buying mode!One of the best Christmas present/stocking stuffers.