The Choosy Beggar

So, what does John ‘Critical Shopper‘ Caramanica think of the Nordstrom Rack experience? Just short of suicide-inducing. Describing the mood as “exasperated and tetchy,” he writes: “The clothes at Nordstrom’s budget-friendly outlet are arranged in a way that favors density and volume, which leads quickly to shopping doldrums and fatigue.” At the store, which opened on 14th Street last month, “thrifting is the mode” — a style of shopping Jon calls “a series of compromises: Will you find a piece that’s not exactly what you came in the door looking for, forgive its flaws and take it home?” Among strange and mysterious labels like Robert Barakett, Bogosse and Zachary Prell, the dogged reporter finally uncovers “a plaid to make Steven Alan salivate” for $50. Even that, however, he finally considers to be a “compromise.” Bleak.