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Topshlock

by ANNA DEVER-SCANLON

The Topshop spaceship has landed on our humble continent and the resultant hype has been frenzied. You'd think New Yorkers were just emerging from a repressive communist regime where we'd been forced to wear olive jumpers and could only now bathe our fashion-starved souls in the sequined mini-skirts and Crayola colored jeans we'd been deprived of for so long.

But that is not the case. I'd wager this city has more trendy shops per capita than any other in the country. Rainbow, Forever 21, H&M, Zara and just about every other vendor on Broadway below Houston. So just what is it about Topshop that whips New Yorkers (not to mention tourists and pilgrims from all over the Tristate Area) into such a frothy, rabid retail mess?

The Topshop ads in the Broadway Lafayette subway station: less annoying than the Vincent Gallo/Terry Richardson Belvedere posters that were there for 25 yearsFirst off, fashion thrives on newness, and Topshop is new. The clothes themselves may not be very well-made or original, but they were previously unavailable, and therefore must be conquered. You could say that women treat clothing the way that men treat women — they lust after what is unattainable and then discard it once they've worn it out.

Excuse me, where are the normal jumpsuits?Secondly, Topshop is even trendier than other trendy shops. It slings items that walk the line between cool and distasteful, but allows Americans to finally get them for that higher price point they've been waiting for.

Topshop will take you to the edge of what you would consider wearing and have you tumbling into the abyss without hesitation.

Paillettes anyone?They do this with expert merchandising, putting the sequin expectorant top right next to the striped jersey skirt so that you are so overwhlemed by colors and patterns you get high as fuck and end up buying everything.

There is also some legitimately nice clothing — the lines by Kate Moss, Jonathan Saunders, and Alice McCall are actually beautiful — but you will end up spending twice as much for those as you would for the rest of the merchandise so watch out!

Kate Moss for Topshop A lot of the clothes have that, "I bought this in a thrift store and isn't that so funny because it's kind of ugly hahaha?" look. Except it's not funny because you actually paid $100 for it.

you could have just gone to Housing Works I'm curious to see if Topshop will thrive after the preliminary orgy has dissipated. Will Americans continue to think they are in H&M and agree to pay twice as much for the same trendy crap as they would in the Swedish monolith? Or will they wise up and forsake the limey shysters?

Americans are a shrewd lot, and my guess is they won't accept this for long. New York is a more conservative town than London fashion-wise, and we just don't have the same lust for floral blazers as the Brits. Especially at $125 a pop.

neon is a trend If I were running the Topshop ship, I'd keep the merchandise edgy but ixnay the over-the-top items and consider lowering the prices. Times is tough, and at Topshop's price point people are looking for clothing that will still be wearable next season (not to mention intact).

Anna Dever-Scanlon is the senior contributor to This Recording. She lives in Brooklyn. Her blog is here.

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