A Good Look

Museum Ark is at it again with some great styling. I was immediately drawn to this look put together with items in the shop. The color palette is perfect and combined with a great mix of classics worn in a fairly interesting way. While I went through to inspect each item, I wasn't totally blown away, they are nice, but when all put together, I love it. This again shows the power of some extra effort from the retailer in making me want a look, rather than just a piece. On one hand, it makes me want to shop there because I feel like the people have a great idea of how to put it together and must know what they are talking about. On the other hand, since everything is fairly uncheap, and in Japan, I am just as happy to take this as inspiration and you could probably come up with something locally that works nearly as well for a lot less. As Pusha T says, money can't buy swagger. A lot of people try, they spend lots of money - but it really comes down to how well you put it together. Check the image after for how these items come together. *Stand out item is the shoes, I love them.

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Little Things; Styling

One of the better things about Japanese retail besides having a more educated market, getting better products and being years ahead of us, is the attention to little things. Even at Musem Ark, a retail location well outside the city center of Tokyo, they take the time with almost every shipment to put together a look or two, style is very nicely and post the pictures up. If you're shopping online, just looking at a coat or shirt on a white background is awesome for blogging, but it's not the best if you are trying to understand how it will fit or look on. People need the picture painted for them, it has to help the selling point if you are a retailer. I remember Nomad did a great job of it last spring but I just don't see it in North America. So if things are slow these days and you have some new stock, I would recommend putting in some effort and sepeating yourself from the pack. Make people want to buy the clothes. I want this Comme des Garcons coat now, but it would have looked a bit weird just laying there.

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