In the retail clothing world, it's no secret that stores Urban Outfitters and American Apparel follow each other from hot locale to hot local around the country, so when UO arrived here on Milwaukee's East Side this past December, we knew it was only a matter of time before its partner in fashion crime, AA, joined it in the stylishly restored Kenilworth Building at the intersection of Kenilworth Place and Prospect Avenue.
And the companionship makes style sense; the two are a hipster match made in heaven for the skinny jeans and cardigan set. Milwaukee's American Apparel -- which, so far is Wisconsin's only, although a Madison store is in the works for 502 State St., near its Urban Outfitters location -- opened its doors Thursday, Aug. 14 at 2165 N. Prospect Ave.
Bright, solid pieces for men, women, kids and babies contrast beautifully against the immaculately white walls and tile floor, giving it the fresh, clean feel all its nearly 200 stores worldwide.
Summer, sadly, is on the outs, especially in the fashion world, so while you'll always find a vast array of perfectly soft and crafted-by-fair-labor tees no matter what the season, the Flax fleece zip hoodies seem to dominate over the sexy swimwear (though everything is available in abundance online year-round, but, of course, than means shipping charges.)
Thank you, American Apparel, for finally saving us Milwaukeeans from annoying shipping charges, or that Megabus ticket down to Wicker Park when in search of that perfect 50/25/25 blend Deep V-Neck.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
