Signs of spring are blooming all over New York City: The birdwatchers are out in Central Park, coffee drinkers are crowding around Ralph’s Polo Bar and Aime Leon Doré, and shoppers are back in full force. On a recent Saturday, bouts of rain and wind didn’t stop New Yorkers from lining up at the Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chanel stores on 57th Street, or queuing for Prada’s epicenter in SoHo.
To some, the re-emergence of retail marks a new kind of consumerism: “Revenge shopping” is the idea that a new leather bag or lug-sole sandal will somehow stick it to the pandemic and the 14 long months of austerity we’ve all lived through. But is buying something fancy the only way to express joy? Shoppers from Madison Avenue to Broadway say that they’re less interested in outfitting themselves for a new kind of roaring ’20s than they are in buying something built to last.
Spotted in SoHo, Sinead Bovell said she spent a year thinking about her new Celine loafers. “This is what I’ve thought about for the last 365 days. I’m really intentional when I shop now,” she explained. While uptown, Linda Zaro invested in a new pair of her favorite Jimmy Choo pumps: “I know this shoe,” she said. “I have this shoe in other colors, and it works very well for me.”
Here, 27 shoppers share their latest purchases and what’s driving them to get out and shop in the springtime of 2021.
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