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Elizabeth Daniels, 8/10
We were all so excited to see the new Bloomingdale's at the Santa Monica
Place, with its neat stylist station, frozen yogurt shop, and makeup area to put any nose in bliss? but the men's department, while boasting a few finds, didn't offer that much more than any other LA Bloomie's for the fashionable male.
We loved how immaculately each of the outposts was decorated, with tiny flourishes that accentuate each designer's overall concept, but the garments on their own were a bit lackluster. The man-bags and murses were clean, dark, with a good mix of professional and fun (thanks, Jack Spade and Marc by Marc). God love Michael Bastian's beautifully overpriced fall pieces, and the presence of Billy Reid was much appreciated, and there was no resisting some of the Bloomingdale's own knitted cardigans; these were all good things.
The buying seems a bit on the controlled side: the vast Ralph Lauren RLX
section looked like cultwear- all black, all the time (with a side of neon orange poly?).
The edgiest Marc by Marc Jacobs garments were striped board shorts (yawn). The
risk-free buying made us miss the Beverly Center Bloomies', and oddly enough, we were even wishing to see some of the PS Paul Smith button-downs that make it to the Century City location, too.
All in all, Santa Monica Place may not be the place for fashion-forward buying. If you need an awesome suit, the place to go is still Century City. If you need to spice up an outfit with a little bit of color, Bev Center is a better bet. For a quick outfit change after a beach visit, Santa Monica is the Place. (Story by Sina Grace)
· Bloomingdale's [Official Site]
· All Santa Monica Place Coverage [Racked LA]