Critical Shopping

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This week, Jon Caramanica takes on Grown & Sewn and Save Khaki, two boutiques trying to fix khaki's image problem. "Khakis are the dress pants of the uncertain," he writes, "a compromise between comfort and rigor, between insouciance and dignity. Worn right, khakis should solve all of life’s problems. Mostly, though, they’re just masks, something we put on when we’re scared to try harder." Both stores espouse an artisanal approach, but Tribeca's cavernous Grown & Sewn is obsessed with detail, while Lafayette Street's cramped Save Khaki produces "bulk upscale beachwear." They would both make a lot more sense, says Caramanica, if they just switched locations. [NYT]