A store called the Banana Republic was opened in San Francisco in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Both the Zieglers worked for the San Franciso Chronicle, Mel was a writer and Patricia an illustrator.
Banana Republic specialized in casual Safari styles and Army Surplus clothing. Many of the utilitarian items had sturdy zips and snaps and were double-stitched and reinforced. The store sold desert army hats, sheepskin vests, shorts and other items of travel clothing to armchair travelers. The garments were designed by the Zieglers for people to wear when mountain hiking or rafting. Source

Hennes & Mauritz AB (operating as H&M), is a Swedish clothing company, known for its fast fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children. H&M has more than 1,700 stores in 33 different countries and employ over 73,000 people.
H&M's first store abroad was opened in England. Then from 1964 onwards, H&M embarked upon a major expansion programme many further stores in Europe, including the UK, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany. In the 1990s, the first stores opened in Finland, France, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands. H&M has continued to expand its business and today H&M has an extensive network throughout much of Europe.

The company, originally known in Italy as ("Prada Brothers"), was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada in Milan. In 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the company's expansion into couture.
In addition to the original Prada line, the company introduced the Kelsie Jones Miu Miu collection, a lower-priced line aimed at a younger audience, in 1992. The Miu Miu line, which shares Miuccia Prada's nickname, emphasizes earthy colors and a less haute couture look, evoking an overall more bohemian style. It was followed by the Prada Sport 'Linea Rossa' collection, which featured tennis shoes. The Prada line produces high-end ready-to-wear clothes and accessories for men and women in addition to a range of children's clothes, fragrances and cosmetic products and home products, whilst the Prada Sport and Miu Miu lines produce clothes and accessories for men and women, including handbags, shoes, wallets, and sunglasses.
Prada currently has 14 locations in the U.S., 6 in New York, as well as boutiques in Bal Harbour, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Honolulu, Waikiki, and Las Vegas. A boutique in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Boston is being planned.
Prada has three flagship "epicenter" stores as well that are much larger and carry more merchandise than regular boutiques. These are located in New York, Beverly Hills, and Tokyo. Source

When shopping for the finest New York City clothing and fashions, one has to take the time to visit one of Manhattan’s most unique and culturally significant apparel stores; Fendi. Originally founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi has undergone a change from a regional fur and leather shop to one of the most sought after clothing and accessories stores in the world. Headlined by creative director Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi has branched into many different forms of fashion and personal wellbeing products, including an extensive line of perfumes and fragrances considered to be illustrious and delectable. While visiting this Manhattan fashion store, make sure you ogle the world famous Fendi baguette, which has been considered one of the finest made handbags throughout the world and is the staple for which Fendi has been founded. With celebrities such as Rihanna, Solange and Kerry Washington wearing this fab label, it is no wonder Fendi’s popularity has continued to grow, attracting thousands of fashion shoppers worldwide. Without a shadow of a doubt, Fendi’s Manhattan clothing emporium is one of the greatest fashion attractions in the world today and is worth every moment and dollar you spend.

A leading pioneer in denim and casual fashion, known for moving outside and ahead of trends in its industry. While retaining always its DNA, in recent years Diesel has evolved into the world of premium casual wear, becoming a true alternative to the established luxury market.

Established in 1960 by legendary fashion icon Valentino Garavani, the Maison has grown over the years and now operates in more than 70 different countries counting over 1250 points of sale, 66 of which are directly managed.

Paul Stuart offers Made to Measure custom clothing with precision tailoring and an exclusive collection of uniquely styled suits, sport jackets, overcoats and shirts, all with our extensive selection of fine European fabrics.

Celebrated by many style conscious and trend-savvy shoppers, Forever 21 has quickly become the source for the most current fashions at the greatest value.
Forever 21 is growing quickly, featuring new and exciting store environments, a constant flow of fun and creative clothing designs and the accessories to make your look come together at the right price.

Liz Claiborne is a Belgian-born fashion designer. She immigrated to the United States in 1939, and was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended St. Timothy's, a boarding school then in Catonsville, Maryland. Rather than finishing high school, she went to Europe to study art. In 1949, she won the Jacques Heim National Design Contest, and then moved to New York City where she worked as a sketch artist at the sportswear house Tina Leser. She worked as a designer for Dan Keller and Youth Group Inc., before starting her own design company, Liz Claiborne Inc., in 1976. The firm grew from its origins designing affordable active sportswear for women and is now a multi billion-dollar enterprise. Source

Simply elegant. Barbara Bui, combines the simplicity of good design sense with the elegance of her native Paris and catapulted into the hottest fashion markets of the world. Manhattan, Milan, Rodeo Dr, Frand, Italy, Monaco, Lebanon and Russia, just stroll down Prince in Greenwich Village and save the price of jet fuel by shopping in America. White is her basic color palate with ebony incorporated for drama. She excels at adding the jeweled colors of the season. Her Spring Summer 2012 collections radiate with this year’s sunburst yellow and ripe tangerine. Cooling with a bit of fresh live green, Bui designs to enhance a woman’s beauty by making the deceptive simple elegance a canvass for a woman’s natural grace. In fact, if Grace Kelly were alive today, she would be all over Barbara Bui’s clean and flowing garb, especially the gorgeous gowns that fall to the floor in perfect symmetry. Gowns, suits, tops , skirts, pants, knitwear, casual, formal, bags to make you whimper and shoes to incite passion, browse through all her accessories and shop wisely. Once you wear a Barbara Bui original, New York City shopping will have a whole new meaning for you.

In case you aren't in the mood for overly colorful clothes, and getting bored with funky, spunky, and bright colors, fear not. Dr.Jays in Queens will help you out. While most fashion these days uses color to sell their product, Dr. Jays uses quality and more muted styles; perfect for any of those boys or tom-boys out there that don't want to attract too much attention to themselves when they're just trying to walk down the road. Dr. Jays' style seems to really blend in better with the younger people of the nation with their almost hip-hop like clothes. They have an extensive collection for both the men and women that want to try something a little different from everyone for Summer 2012. They even feature a kids section for the little tots that want to be in fashion this year. Employees are extremely helpful and not afraid to help steer you in the direction of something they believe will suit you better, which is very helpful for those wandering in, unsure of what they should be purchasing. Not to mention the hat selection! What a perfect store to go to for those fun summer parties, or even just your everyday wardrobe.

New to the fashion world but known globally for his innovative design installations, when you go to the Carlos Miele boutique in Manhattan, the Village, you enter an entire designer experience. His American flagship shop was designed by architect Hani Rashad and entered by New York city to the prestigious International Architecture Biennale in São Paulo, Brazil. Brazil, known for gorgeous women, sexy clothing and dynamic colors, Carlos gives us outrageously sexy fabric drapes in brilliant hues of turquoise and azure, yellows competing with the sun itself. His Manhattan boutique emulates the white sand beaches upon which every woman is the sparkling jewel, as long s they are wearing one of his creations, of course. Wisps of diasporas fabrics and stunning Brazilian country wear, leathers, artisan influence, and the elements of life, sun, wind, water and good old solid earth, every penny is worth shimmying on one of his creations. It is no wonder that New York was his first stop in his growing claim to fame. Dressed in a white cotton shirt, blue jeans and an irrepressible dimple, window shopping is just not enough to get his vibe. Walk in and demand a fitting.

Founded in 1963 with one women?s apparel store in Columbus, Ohio, Limited Brands is committed to building a family of the world?s best brands to create sustained growth of shareholder value by focusing its time, talent, and capital on the highest return opportunities. Historically, Limited Brands has been viewed as a multi-divisional, largely apparel-based, popular-priced retailer. Ten years ago, that was true. Lingerie, personal care and beauty made up less than 30% of its sales. Today?s reality is very different. Over the past ten years Limited brands has reinvented itself completely, becoming a predominantly a personal care, beauty and lingerie company, with over 70% of its sales coming from those areas, primarily through two great brands, Victoria?s Secret and Bath & Body Works.

After 20 years in the surf, skate and snowboard business, founder Chip Wilson took the first commercial yoga class offered in Vancouver and found the result exhilarating. The post yoga feeling was so close to surfing and snowboarding that it seemed obvious that yoga was an ideology whose time had come (again).

Starting out as Daffy Dan’s Bargaintown, the new Daffy’s has revolutionized quality clothing stores by giving you the opportunity to wear the best designer collections while not breaking the bank to do so. Daffy’s became famous as the first fashion clothing store by making Madison Avenue and European designer brands available to all consumers. With their location in the heart of Madison Avenue, Daffy’s has been recognized as one of Manhattan’s premier clothing stores and is a must visit for anyone looking to do some serious shopping. With extensive selections of dresses, sweatsuits, sportswear and even houseware, Daffy’s is sure to have a little bit of something for everyone. Daffy’s fashion clothing store maintains the highest of quality control and makes a promise to its consumers to maintain these values. A family run business, Daffy’s allows its customers a chance to relax and feel at home with some of the best customer service available in New York City. Evolving from a single New Jersey store specializing in samples and irregulars to a 19 store corporation carrying the finest apparel available, Daffy’s has firmly established itself as one of the best New York clothing stores at bargain prices.

Develops and produces a distinctive line of contemporary women's apparel and accessories, which it markets under the bebe, 2b bebe and bebe outlet brands. Current Chairman and Founder Manny Mashouf opened the first bebe boutique in 1976 in San Francisco. At that time, three categories dominated the women's wear market: junior, briouh women inspirational, sexy fashion.

Filene's Basement was founded in Boston in 1908 by Edward A. Filene as a way to sell off excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs. Before long, other retailers and manufacturers were bringing their unsold goods to him to sell, and the concept of the "off price" store was born.

In New York City shopping? This clothing destination is a must. From a 900 square foot humble clothing store to one of the pinnacle’s of fashion acclaim, Beacon’s Closet has rocked the New York clothing scene and established itself as one of the best the seven boroughs has to offer. Located on famous Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn clothing store Beacon’s Closet goes beyond the clothing norm by offering a variety of vintage favorites and modern influences. Offering name brand shoes, shirts, pants and accessories, Brooklyn fashion emporium gives you the feeling of being at a friend’s home and looking in their closet to see where they shop and what fabulous deals they found. With coverage in several nationally received fashion journals and receiving two ‘best of’ awards from the New York newspapers the NY Press and the Village Voice, Beacon’s Closet has quickly won over the hearts of consumers due to its quirky nature and fun-loving atmosphere. As reported, Beacon’s Closet is known as just having “the best stuff” and it appeals to everyone looking to look great, pay less and have a great shopping experience. Come and rub shoulders with the residents and visitors in the know.

All that is youthful, sexy, vibrant, full of life and beautiful in draping cloth on men and women, young and old, is exuberantly displayed at this Manhattan shrine to the genius fashion designers, Dolce & Gabbana. JLo loves them, soccer gods model their clothing and movie directors feature their distinctive collections. All because they are really good at what they do. Deceptively simple and outrageously alive, these two Italian fashion designers have transformed quality clothing into an art. What use is designer fashion if you have nowhere to wear it? Favored by celebrities, dignitaries and the man/woman on the street, D&G give a spark of life and creativity to the streets of New York City. Their Spring Summer 2012 collection is extraordinary in fabric, line, and color, embracing the family with fashions for men, women and children, with D&G Junior. Sign up for Swide, their fashion magazine and download their app on your Iphone for everything D&G. You are sure to see some of the world’s most beautiful actresses and sports heroes in their Manhattan boutique. It is worth your while to browse through the beautiful people of the world and their clothes when shopping in New York City.

Returning after a season's maternity leave, Phoebe sent out a collection with crisp new shapes, proportions and vigour. A line dresses and stiffer couture fabrics were used with flares from the shoulder, and swinging skirts with models on great chunky platform shoes. Sixties ruffled skirts (so popular this season) were intricately worked in crunchy embroidery, organza applique and frills. Lots of new accessories like handbags were seen this season. Source

Ann Taylor stores have nearly 50 years of history providing fashion with great style...feminine, updated, classic sportswear that can take a woman from day into evening. The Ann Taylor collection spans a wide spectrum of clothing and accessories from the most refined to the most casual, appropriate for special occasion, business or casual lifestyle needs

Shopping in Queens for specialty casual apparel and accessories for your teen? How about trendy clothing at competitive prices for your 7-12 year old? If you answered yes to either of these questions then you are fortunate enough to sop your heart out at Queens Aeropostale, a New York City clothing gem and an icon in youthful quality casual clothing that your teen will actually wear. Located on the middle of Queens Boulevard, Aeropostale has raised the bar for young adult fashion by offering high-quality, active-orientated clothing at compelling values. Aeopostale has been able to curb costs and control their brand by designing, sourcing, marketing and selling all of its own merchandise. Aeropostale fashions can only be purchased from their own clothing stores, giving an air of exclusivity to their trendy clothing styles and clients by being one of the few designers to be sole distributors of their own brand. Also known for its in-store atmosphere, they provide a hip ambiance that is cool for kids and enjoyable for adults. Catering to the young at heart, don’t be surprised if you end up selecting a few items for yourself. This Queens clothing store is a must while shopping in New York City.

As one of the only vertically integrated clothing manufacturers in the world, American Apparel is also one of the only truly in-house clothing brands and proudly stands behind the “Made in the USA” tag. A New York clothing store located in the heart of Brooklyn, American Apparel is proud of its American culture and holds true to everything that America stands for in homeland manufacturing. Offering a variety of clothing and accessory choices such as crop-tops, t-shirts, shorts and tank tops, American Apparel is a Brooklyn shopping destination for comfortable and affordable casual and sportswear. Recently, American Apparel has begun to offer even more in its accessory line with a variety of leather goods, watches and eyewear. American Apparel keeps much of its prices down by doing everything in house. From dyes and stitching to photography and marketing, not one stitch of American Apparel is outsourced, keeping jobs in the USA and keeping costs down for the American public. The next time you are in the Brooklyn clothing district make it a point to stop into American Apparel to not only make yourself look great but to also support this genuine staple of pure American culture.

Manhattan's Dr. Jay’s has revolutionized the Urban clothing scene and forever changed the landscape of New York clothing, while serving the New York Metro area for over 25 years. Beginning its legacy with the opening of its first store in the South Bronx in 1975, Dr. Jay’s clothing stores embraced the changing world around them and became a pioneer in providing Urban fashion. Ironically, as Dr. Jay’s was introducing modern Urban fashions, down the road the birth of Hip-Hop was starting to be seen. In a harmonious union, the two forms of social phenomenon worked with each other and helped to propel the Urban lifestyle beyond the streets and into mainstream Americana. With name brand including Adidas, Nike, Ecko, LRG and Coogi, Dr. Jay’s continues to showcase the best clothing lines available and hold itself in high esteem while embracing its New York roots. Today, Dr. Jay’s has over 17 locations in the New York area including very prominent stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. For a piece of New York clothing culture and some of the best apparel in all of New York City, make a stop into Dr. Jay’s and see what the Urban Revolution is all about.

During the 1960s and 1970s the firm popularized fashion trends such as the beatnik look, tweed suits, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, Le Smoking suit. He is the first to popularize ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratize fashion. He is also the first designer to use black models in his runway shows. Among his muses were Loulou de La Falaise, the daughter of a French marquis and an Anglo-Irish fashion model, Betty Catroux, the half-Brazilian daughter of an American diplomat. Source

Italian fashions at New York City prices. One of the world’s first upscale trendy clothing brands has made its way from Treviso, Italy and now finds itself at home in Queens, NYC. Finding itself nestled on Austin Street, The United Colors of Benetton is an old world feel with a new world fashion. This fashionable clothing collection represents the casual spirit from the world famous Benetton group which appeals to all generations, young and old, and allows people to look their best at all times. Shopping in New York City for women’s wear, men’s wear, children’s wear, underwear is easy and enjoyable at this Queens clothing store, with designs to please a variety of different tastes and lifestyles. Benetton also features several other brands, including Sisley fashion, Playlife leisurewear and Killer Loop street wear. Most recently, Benetton expanded into toiletries and premier accessories including their own lines of perfumes, watches, kitchen accessories and even baby products. For a taste of Italian culture that brings forth a sense of class and personality, make sure you shop at the United Colors of Benetton clothing store in Queens to see why they have taken the New York clothing scene by storm.