Piperlime Pops Up in Soho Just In Time For FNO

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Online retailer Piperlime opened up its pop-up shop on Mercer Street yesterday and there is absolutely no way shoppers can miss the lime-green storefront and perfectly dressed windows. The store is basically a real life version of the website, with clothes and the shoes arranged by whimsically named and on-trend categorized sections where shoppers can complete an entire outfit by theme.

The apparel is up in the front, so let's start there. On the left hand side, shoppers are greeted by the "Military Time" corner with cargos, field jackets and more. Looking through the racks, we found light weight, army green military jacket from Sanctuary Clothing for $130 and a Balmain-esque Aryn K grey wool military jacket for $108 (we had coats on the brain since it was kind of chilly outside).

Moving forward, there is the "Vintage Embellishment" section carrying lots of lace, sequins, and faux fur. Eye-catchers included a Nanette Lepore bronze sequin mini-skirt for $398, a BB Dakota faux fox fur vest for $90, and a Minkpink faux leopard chubby for $108. Next was the most popular area, the "English Prep", which seemed more like Americana chic, but it's all semantics, really. We pushed through a few shoppers to look at a Free People lace cardie for $78, a Rag & Bone soft flannel plaid blazer for $275 and a Kensie grey chunky wide sleeve long cardigan for $88.

Competing for popularity is of course the "Rachel Zoe's Picks" section, which was a hoot. There was a quintessential Rachel outfit on a display table: Piperlime's exclusive Seven for All Mankind "Rachel Bell Bottoms" for $169, a slouchy white tee, a pretty fabulous Twelfth Street by Cynthia Steffe layered faux fur vest-over-suede-jacket combo for $394, and Michael Antonio faux suede gold studded booties for $78. There is also the requisite Denim Bar organized by style (Skinny, Boot-cut, Legging and Flare) containing the usual suspects: Hudson, Paige, James Jeans, Rag & Bone, etc.

The footwear is in the back corner and is also thoughtfully arranged by on-trend category name. There is the "Amazing Lace-Up" with heels and flats in various styles and price ranges. In "the Spat" section, shoppers will find tall black wedge boots with a bronze sole for $255 and a super cute pair of Vince Camuto fold-over ankle clog booties for $149 (yes, it's a lot, but it works). In OTK (Over the Knee), styles and prices range from a diabolical pair of black, lace-up, platform, stiletto strappy boots for $565 to a basic pair of black suede mid-heel boots for $170. There are also exclusives to be found, like a Cynthia Vincent peep-toe bootie for $325 and a Kensie military lace-up high heel bootie for $150.

The staffers are extremely knowledgeable and obliging about helping shoppers look for items and find their size. There are also additional sizes in the back. The shop wasn't too crowded, but, well, the shoppers (locals and tourists alike) were extremely pushy and grabby even though there wasn't much competition on opening day. Perhaps it was just a primal reaction to all that loot in front of them. Rachel Zoe will be on hand Friday night during Fashion's Night Out to give out styling tips. Based on the opening day performance, we're predicting that FNO will be seriously bananas.
· Fashion's Night Out [Official Site]
· Piperlime [Official Site]