Personal Affairs
Neighborhood: East Village
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Description:
"Style is better than trend," states the business card for Personal Affairs—and true to those words, the womenswear you'll find at the store's two branches, both in the East Village (the Lafayette location is a small annex) looks polished and stylish but not faddish at all.
The pieces are designed by Jessica Liepelt, an American based in Germany. They're sold throughout Europe and in Japan and are carried in some U.S. stores, but the two Personal Affairs locations in NYC represent the only Stateside outlets carrying Liepelt exclusively. Her understated fabrics and spare lines clearly reflect her European influences; they also make the case that clothing doesn't have to be frilly to be feminine. Sleek trousers are staples of her collection, as are zip-up sweaters and jackets that look both functional and sharp.
All winter items are currently on sale at 50% off. Zip-up wool-blend sweaters in purple and green stripes (now $60) will wear well into spring, as will sporty cotton-blend zippered jackets in pale blue (now $20). And don't neglect the discounted "last season" rack; because Liepelt focuses on timeless pieces, last season doesn't mean out of date. When we browsed through the rack, we found an elegant sheer black blouse with a sequined butterfly pin that can be placed, or removed, as the wearer sees fit ($25); a peasant blouse in a beige floral print that looks like a classic rather than a relic of the peasant-blouse craze ($25); and a terrific khaki and sky blue tailored jacket ($50) that will work for the office and for after-work dinner or drinks—preferably at a mood-lit bar or bistro with an uncluttered design scheme that will complement your clothes. - Pamela Grossman; 02/2004
Personal Affairs
102 E. 7th St.; 335 Lafayette St.
New York, NY
(212) 420-7778; (212
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