THE CONSUMER: Cool in Every Sense of the Word

Ben Sherman opens boutique in Aladdin

Jennifer Henry

Mod god Ben Sherman has been outfitting hipsters since the dawn of their existence. And that's no posthumous popular mythology. Sherman launched his line in 1963 and the signature button-downs quickly became a Mod must-have. Sherman outgrew his factory in only six years, a prime example of the rapidly changing culture. More than fashion, Sherman shirts were an identity, signifying what set you belonged to, and more importantly, spoke to a teenaged aesthetic that demanded both novelty and accessibility.


Sherman shocked the industry in 1972 with the sudden sale of his shirt house, making him the consummate modernist, infamously fickle and prone to sudden flights of fancy. In the charge of Northern Ireland Finance Company, the Ben Sherman brand became an international icon lending Londoner style to Mods worldwide. Cool in every sense of the word, stylish however removed from the pressures of what's popular, identifiable but exclusive and devoid of obtrusive logos, yet unmistakably Ben Sherman.


The new boutique in the Miracle Mile (Aladdin's Desert Passage recently rebranded to complement the Planet Hollywood remodel) is the third stateside. Opened last week, Monday, August 28 at 2 p.m. sharp, it came onto the scene just in time to host a major MAGIC party. Director Noah Rosenblatt was the picture of grace under pressure at 1:30 Monday afternoon. After he concluded his pre-opening powwow with the staff, all the while receiving shipments to the stockroom and overseeing last minute construction and cleaning, a prospective patron shimmied through the unopened glass doors onto the unfinished show floor.


"That's the third today," Rosenblatt laughed after politely informing the customer that the store would soon be open. "Their enthusiasm is reassuring, really."


And they have plenty to be excited about, with a full selection of the entire Sherman line already in stock and two more shipments to come this season. Boutique exclusives like the Kooks jacket, Sherman's fitted and feminine take on the Members Only '80s zip-up in jet black that will find its way into the closets of conservatives and colorful scenesters alike.



Ben Sherman Where: Miracle Mile at the Aladdin.
Info: 688-4227.



Jennifer Henry has got the goods on what to get and where. Contact her at
[email protected].

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