Cheryl Shops

Website of the week
It appears to be my lucky year. A few weeks ago, I read that Topshop wants to open a New York store. Although this would pretty much eliminate the need to go to London, I still think it would be nice. But to top off this very good mass-retailer news, I read yesterday that Spanish chain Mango is opening a store in Soho--they're taking over the Kate's Paperie store on Broadway (Kate's is moving to a Spring Street location). I feel like thanks to our British fashionistas (Kate Moss, Sienna Miller), everyone knows about the virtues of Topshop--and having been to the chain's Oxford Circus store several times, I can attest to its utter greatness. However, when I was in Spain last summer, I discovered Mango. A little younger and more affordable than its fellow Spanish chain Zara, Mango has actually already begun its U.S. penetration with stores in California. And perhaps because of this, they have a nifty little ecommerce site that you can shop from now. You can shop by style, garment, price, or season, or you can just scroll through everything on the upper right-hand corner. Prices are quite reasonable for the quality--like Zara, the stuff is nicer than H&M, but unlike Zara, you won't find much over $100. Also, it's not quite so trendy: Bermuda shorts can be found here, but there's nary a skinny jean or legging. And because the site is so nifty and flash-enabled, I can't link to anything directly, but now that I've finally figured out how to do pictures, I'll just post a bunch of photos of stuff I like.

This halter tunic looks right up my alley, and I love the braided details:


I think this top would be flattering on a lot of body types (mine included):


I kind of love this cropped jacket--equal parts Coco Chanel and bullfighter:


This sweater is an excellent Marc Jacobs knockoff (at about a tenth of the price):


And this sweater is very Rick Owens-y (again, at a tenth of the price):


This tunic qualifies as a "Cheryl Top":


This dress looks quite fancy and chic, and I love the bright-blue color:


I like these crazy plaid formal shorts:


And don't forget the accessories, like this cute chain belt:


And these adorable embellished flats:


So, order online now or wait for your local store to open? (For the record, stores are coming in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Costa Mesa.) I think I'll go for the immediate gratification and order now, but as soon as the bricks-and-mortar store opens in Soho, I'll have a report, as always.