James perse

[GatorStyle]

A quick thank-you to LA Guy, who posted some favorable comments about shirts from James Perse.  I had heard about his stuff before, but- as an East Coaster- hadn't seen all that much of it.  

This weekend, I picked up two long sleeve James Perse "t-shirts" at Barneys and Bloomingdales.  Both are very cool, among the best-fitting and stylish casual/funky streetwear shirts that I've seen in some time.  So allow me to second LA Guy's earlier endorsement- definitely check out James Perse shirts if you get the chance.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

I checked out James Perse at Bloomingdale's this past weekend, and frankly, don't see what the fuss is about.  I've read that his T-shirts are popular among the young female Hollywood set because they are form fitting, thick, and can be worn without a bra.  If any woman walked into a crowded room wearing the T-shirts I tried on without a bra, however, everyone in the room would immediately know how cold the room was.  And the woman would be arrested for indecent exposure.  Does Bloomingdale's stock the cheap versions of his shirts?

 

[pstoller]

I checked out James Perse at Bloomingdale's this past weekend, and frankly, don't see what the fuss is about. I've read that his T-shirts are popular among the young female Hollywood set because they are form fitting, thick, and can be worn without a bra. If any woman walked into a crowded room wearing the T-shirts I tried on without a bra, however, everyone in the room would immediately know how cold the room was. And the woman would be arrested for indecent exposure. Does Bloomingdale's stock the cheap versions of his shirts?

Well, first of all, those weren't women's shirts you were tryng on. (At least, I'm assuming they weren't.) More to the point, though, is that Perse has a reasonably wide range of shirts, so they're going to vary in material and styling. I have a couple of killer James Perse long sleeve pullover shirts, but not all of his stuff moves me in the same way. I'd say, check out more of his line before you dismiss it.

 

[LA Guy]

Agreed. I really liked his baseball styled t-shirts a few seasons ago, which featured a distinctive, rounded, dress-shirt style bottom seam, but haven't seen anything really clever since then. I do maintain that James Perse makes the most comfortable, softest cotton tees of anyone, though.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

This past weekend I checked out James Perse at Maxfield Bleu (which maddeningly has the exact same inventory as it did several weeks ago when I first visited).  Apparently I sold Mr. Perse short.  His stuff is really nice, although I'm not sure I'm willing to spend $65 for a T-shirt, no matter how good it might be.

 

[LA Guy]

Maxfield Bleu is just a liquidation center for Maxfield, so it will only get new stock twice a year. The prices are initially the same as in the Maxfield sale (the red price), and are brought down further (the green price) about a month later. For selection, I shop at the main Maxfield store during the sale there. And for a better deal, (i.e. I like the piece, but not so much that I absolutely need it) I'll wait until the second set of markdowns at the Bleu store and try my luck. The first Saturday these markdowns take place, the place is a madhouse. I'd estimate that people buy on average about 3-4 items. It's like a swarm of designer loving locusts. The highly wearable, and more affordable stuff (Helmut Lang, Miu Miu, more mainstream Prada and Dolce Gabbana pieces) go quickly, and the editorial pieces (which Maxfield orders more of than any other LA store) soon afterwards, so a month later, you are really left with very little. I encourage you to go when they get their new stuff in. You'll be much more impressed by the selection. The Fred Segal sale is even worse. You'll probably find a few things, but unless you have made superfriendly with one of the salesgirls, you are not going to find that super coveted but super expensive piece past the first couple of days. I plan to go as early as possible on the Friday or Saturday the sale begins. BTW, if you like Fred Segal so much, you may like Theodore Man in the Golden Triangle area as well. They have a similar product mix.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Thanks for the info, LA Guy.  I was beginning to think that Maxfield Bleu sold nothing but ugly Prada shirts, on "sale" for $300.  At what times of the year do the Maxfield sales and markdowns take place?  I assume that I barely missed the most recent one.

As for the Fred Segal summer sale, I pretty much assumed that it would be the L.A. equivalent of the western land rush.  If the Lisa Kline Alley sale is any indication, there will be almost nothing in size medium by midday Saturday.