It was quite an amazing experience to get out of our little bubble here in Hanover and visit Boston last Saturday. I appreciated being back in civilization; I heard people speaking in different languages, had to look before crossing the street and used cash more than DA$H. What's more, I was able to visit stores whose merchandise I'd only seen as thumbnails on the Internet. At the Prudential Center, I stood for a moment, taking in the whimsical feel that emanated from the windows of retailer Free People, before entering.
The shopping experience at Free People is unique: to make the store feel warm and dreamy, there are big, bright, comfy couches neighboring coffee tables supporting a couple piles of shirts, maybe a hat or two. Nothing too serious; it isn't one of those stores that has two items hanging on the rack without price tags. Like its counterparts Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, Free People is set up to make the shopping experience "nurturing" for the customer, as they say on their web site, while handmade fixtures and aesthetically pleasing surroundings give the boyfriends, brothers and dads something to look at while they sit on the couch waiting for their female companions. Though most of the time I didn't need help from the sweet staff interspersed throughout the room, it can take some work to discover treasures among the rolling racks of costume-like clothes.
I guess the designers decided that because their brand name highlighted "free" people, they had the right to do whatever they wanted with some fabric, yarn and grosgrain ribbons. Such creative freedom results in pieces that ranged from heinous to hip.
If you can't get to Boston (though note it's only two hours away), stop by Bella -- they have practically the entire collection available. Although Free People fits can be funky, they can also be perfectly precious for spring. I'd suggest their adorable baby doll tops that still define your curves with a thicker band or a well-placed seam, but still achieve a flouncy, comfortable look.
Of course, there are also those tops that could work in theory, but in reality are very hard to pull off. Example: the Rose Garden Tube Dress. The tendency for girls wearing tube dresses is to constantly pull up the bodice for fear of coming out of the dress. How to solve this problem? Wear a T-shirt underneath. Trust the designers, too; if you're constantly pulling it up and really are coming out of it, then you might need a different size.
Let me tell you that the neckline of these tube dresses is, more often than not, unflattering, since a straight line across the chest segments the body. Free People has plenty of other shirts with more universally flattering necklines. Steer clear of those that cut straight-across. Please.
Free People write that they want their aesthetic to reach a young woman who is "smart, creative, confident and comfortable in all aspects of her being, free and adventurous," and to evoke "femininity, courage, and spirit." All of these goals are lovely. I especially appreciate their consequent decision to design collections that are so "free" that they allow customers to have fun asking, "How precious is this baby doll?" or, "Am I supposed to look pregnant in this top?" while trying on Free People's eccentric styles.
