• West Elm Catalogue

  The West Elm catalogue was gorgeous: page after page of minimalist furniture in settings worthy of Metropolitan Home. Every trend was there from stylish acrylic dining chairs to geometric shelving, and it was affordable too. Then the store opened—and the stock was exactly what's in the catalogue, nothing more. And yes, the pictures are always prettier, but better quality should be expected from a Williams Sonoma company. Word is, the brand is being overhauled and will unveil new products in a 20,000-square-foot Chelsea store later this year. Cross your fingers.—Rima Suqi
  
  

  Scoop

  Multiple locations

  A lot of Us Weekly readers are devoted to Scoop because it offers all the elements you need to emulate Kate Hudson–esque celebrity style—Juicy Couture, Marc by Marc Jacobs, etc. But the selection never feels imaginative enough for a small, independent chain of New York boutiques. And shopping there can be a series of frustrations, from the uninviting stacks of T-shirts and jeans—hard to browse without knocking the whole pile on the floor—to the easily annoyed and terribly on-trend sales staff. The idea of Scoop is great; if only the reality were friendlier and less formulaic. —Amy Larocca

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine