Now Even the Normie Stores in New York Have Lines

Outside L’Appartement Sézane.Photo: Bella Druckman

Shopping at a certain type of store around Soho almost always means waiting on line. Sneakerheads congregate outside Kith, tween girls line up at Brandy Melville, andThrowing Fitsbros wait outside Stüssy. But as more and more brands suddenly and inexplicably go viral, some comparatively normie spots that weren’t meant to hold more than a dozen or so customers at a time are drawing lines of fur-hood-wearing, Santal 33–scented shoppers to one otherwise quiet block of Elizabeth Street.

On any given day, dozens of people wait outsideL’Appartement Sézane(254 Elizabeth St.), the Parisian brand that has kept alive the “French girl” look of the 2010s. “Whenever I go, I’m like,Why is the line for Sézane literally, like, two miles long?” says social-media consultant Kendall Dickieson. Shoppers wait to make returns and try on fuzzy cardigans, often standing outside for 20 minutes before a bouncer lets them in. Next door, up to eight customers are allowed to squeeze intoAbbode(252 Elizabeth St.), the embroidery boutique known for its custom bridal tank tops andfaux-crocodile toiletry bags. Inside, the target customers — “the cute girlies and gays,” according to Emma Tanner, a store manager — can get designs like espresso martinis and Ralph’s Coffee cups embroidered on pillowcases and Waffle Pouches.

A line down Elizabeth Street.Photo: Bella Druckman

Closer to Houston Street, locals and tourists wait to try on $300 jeans in one of the two fitting rooms atStill Here(268 Elizabeth St.) before emerging to look in the store’s singular mirror. After modeling a couple pairs for the store associates, Dickieson, “like everyone else,” left with the brand’s drawstring Cool Jean in hand. Down the street, people gather outsideLuckyscent’s Scent Bar(244 Elizabeth St.) to sniff perfumes they heard about on ScentTok. Fragrance aficionado Alek Green says he’ll wait on line for up to 45 minutes because “you can smell however many scents you want.”

Influencer-touted brands Fishwife, Pleasing, and Parke have hosted pop-ups on the block, the last of which drew a line that stretched around the corner to Mott Street. “That was a line we had never seen before,” says Jennifer Prezioso, the owner of Albanese Meats & Poultry, which her great-grandparents opened on Elizabeth Street in 1923. At the time, Sicilian immigrants selling meat, fruits, and vegetables filled the street. “Then, people were out making deals, talking to each other,” she says. “Now we’re just elbowing, like, ‘Get out of the way.’”

The North Face
A flagship now spans 21,000 feet in midtown. Shoppers can find a full range of clothing and gear set against a two-and-a-half-story-high LED screen playing ice-climbing scenes films shot by athletes.(511 Fifth Ave.)

Meruert Tolegen
Ruffled black frocks and Victorian crinoline panniers are on offer at the Kazakhstan-born, New York–based designer’s first store.(39 Wooster St.)

Brut Archives
The Parisian menswear line of new and upcycled pieces expanded from its Marais location to open its first U.S. store on the Lower East Side.(68 Hester St.)

Bottega Veneta
The brand opened a galleryesque store where shoppers can rest on vintage furniture and flip through one of the many art books on display.(58 Gansevoort St.)

Calvin Klein
After closing the Madison Avenue flagship in 2019, the designer returned to New York with a Soho flagship store that focuses on denim and underwear.(530 Broadway)

The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Tags:

• gated
• the strategist
• store openings
• new york magazine