VIBE

It may have humble 19th century beginnings as a Lower East Side hoop skirt concern, but Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale’s tiny notions shop eventually revolutionized retail (by offering diverse goods under one roof) and has gone on to become one of the most famous (and stylish) department stores in the world. Everyone from “it” kids to Queen Elizabeth has been spotted trawling the racks, and the store has shown impressive staying power in the face of fashion’s frequent about-faces. Just like its designer brown paper shopping bags, the pieces it sells are timelessly hot. These days, Bloomingdale’s manages to stand out from the department store crowd with a focus on accessible lines by top designers, like Marc by Marc Jacobs and DKNY. This Downtown location trends slightly more economical and hipper than its much larger Midtown parent.

USE A PURCHASE FROM HERE FOR

Designer casual wear

WHY WE LIKE IT

They’ve got an unbeatable selection of picks from the diffusion lines by top designers, making it a great spot for snagging younger and more casual designer wear.

GOOD TO KNOW

Avoid the flagship Midtown location–it’s a chaotic mess. The quieter, more selective SoHo location offers a better-edited collection and smaller crowds. If you want to browse Bloomingdale's home furnishings, however, you will need to brave the Midtown store.

OTHER LOCATIONS

Midtown East (New York); US locations in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; Dubai

CLOSEST COMPS

Barneys New York (New York); Fenwick (London)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to New York City.