August 25, 2006

A Whole New Crew

Madewell Opens

A good pedigree is certainly an eye-catcher.

But sometimes it’s more important what someone’s made of than what her family tree looks like.

Fortunately, Madewell, a new shop in NorthPark, has both. The very first casual store in the country from the folks behind J. Crew, the new boutique is like the young, not-so-posh cousin of the established New England family.

Unlike its blue-blood kin, Madewell sells only moderately priced women’s clothing with lots of vintage detailing and a bevy of modern techniques. Everything even fits into neat categories with clever names — like High Line knits, Hawke fleece, and New Haven chinos — to ensure you keep it all straight.

Thankfully, the rotating selection makes it easy to stay focused. Our current favorites include the extra-long boyfriend shirts, vintage cargo pants, and a sweetly rugged Italian leather bomber jacket. Just the sorts of basics that’ll fit right in with what you’ve already got.

While still managing to shake up the gene pool a bit.

Madewell, 8687 North Central Expressway, NorthPark Center (214-363-5414). To see styles, go to madewell1937.com.