NYC - Which shops for clothes/shoes?

[instantfamily]

I will be going to NYC for a week sans DC or DH (yippie!) and am already planning which shops/brands I want to shop in/for for myself and the DC (5 years old).

What do you think is a real bargain or special brand we cannot get in Europe?

I am thinking GAP, oshkosh, tea collection ...

J.Crew. Century 21, but you do lose the will to live when you're there - it's like TKMaxx times a million. Anthropolgie, Urban Outfitters (much nicer there)

Not so much a brand but Century 21(think I have that right) big designer discount shop down beside the World Trade Centre site. Kind of like TX Maxx but with really serious designer brands - got an amazing DKNY handbag in there.

Sephora for cosmetics (website good for a browse too) - I love Stila eyeshadows. Clinique generally massively cheaper in the states.

Calvin Klein womenswear (not the sporty stuff but some of their suits and dresses) is very flattering and sold at pretty good prices in Macys etc (assuming you aren't going out to any out of town outlet places) I have a dress of theirs which I paid about £35 for and it has been worn hundreds of times and still looks amazing.

If you can get out to the outlets then I think there is a vast one not for from NY. French Connection and Ted Baker are both ones I've had a lot of success with - I think their fashion seasons might be slightly out of sync with ours, as the stuff I picked up in Ted Baker outlet vastly reduced was still current season here. Again, at the outlets there are normally watch shops selling genuine last seasons or returns. I got a stunning Armani watch in one of them for $100 (was about £50 then due to exchange rate!) which had retailed here for over £400! DKNY watches also tend to be very reasonable and lovely.

Macys used to give a discount card for tourists if you showed your passport.

Oh, if you are anything other than a very normal size then forget lingerie - finding anything less than a 34 back or bigger than a d cup seems to be nigh on impossible, it's something we are definitely better at! If you happen to fall within the lucky range than there is some lovely stuff.

The outlet is called woodbury common, i definatly recommend it but a top tip ive discovered is take 1 of those fold up shopping trolleys if you can (i borrowed my nans), its a whole day trip thing and you will buy a lot which will kill your arms after a while - sign up now and get free discount vouchers Also century 21 is amazing, take the e train to the world trade centre (you also get to see this site too as its right opposite) but i find it best to go here either first thing inthe morning or around half 6 in the evening, by then everyone is usually on their way home from work and not out shopping so its a little less hectic but here are so many floors, if you sign up now you can print off loadsof vouchers to take with you! i got an armani watch in here for $75 in december, plus the kids clothes are amazing, lots of ralph lauren, dkny all fab names and really cheap. sign up here

Victoria Secrets are ok for some underwear, depends on the price range though i personally think there over priced for what they are! obviously macys too, you can go to customer services and get a tourist voucher which gives you 10% off everything in store, just take your passport with you

if your looking for fake handbags too the canal street is for you, although as you walk along the road you will be accustomed by tons of chinese people offering you the latest hadnbag but you definatly have to be good at haggling, i got a fab chanel look a like for $36 and not tacky looking like the others!

any you definatly have to go to tiffanys! they usually tell your a tourist and take you right to the silver department where things are a bit cheaper! but i can never resist leaving without a little turquoise bag - even if it did mean forgoing carpets in my bedroom for another 3 months, im so jealous i want to go back now!!!! have a fab time!

Hi forgot to add, if you do go to the outlet place then wait there to go to gap, its huge bought i got a ton of clothes from there then saw them still selling it full price in the new york city gap, theres also a oshgosh at woodbury too! but if you look on the site you can see what shops are there, it costs about $42 to get there you can get the tickets from the sellers on every street corner in the bright coloured jackets

ooh, thanks for all that! I may just do a day trip to woodbury to get the shopping out of the way (fat chance!) and then just cruise the rest of the time.

to see NY without the world trade center is going to stop my heart, though.

The trade centre site is eerie - it's a couple of years now since we were there and at that point building hadn't started yet so it was just a completely empty site. It was strange - you don't really appreciate the scale of the site from the TV but it's really quite big. And it was so quiet - it was like everyone just stopped talking when they were near it.

heartbreaking, scotsgirl!

Williams Sonoma (kitchen gadgets)
J Crew (fabulous basics)
Anthropologie (puts Boden to shame)
Theory
Janie and Jack (cute kids clothes)
Restoration Hardware (homeware)
Toys R Us (obviously, toys)
Small independent designer boutiques in areas like Nolita and Tribeca

If you pass a Filenes Basement or Loehmanns do go in as there are loads of bargains to be had! 7 for all mankind/citizens of humanity jeans for approx $60, cashmere around $40, lots of designer brand names for adults and kids, they are not as big as Century 21 but definitely worth a look. Also Barneys CO-OP, especially if there is a sale on, I got a Marc Jacobs leather bag down from $550 to $175.

David Z or Footlocker for trainers, and if you're after Uggs buy them out there as they are least £80 cheaper. Childrens Place and Old Navy for kids clothes, excellent quality and not very expensive. If you're brave and willing to queue up then Ambercrombie & Fitch and Hollister - but they are very dark and you really do lose the will to live once you're in there!

Also the drugstores are fantastic and again cheap.

Hope you have a wonderful time!!