Revamped in the U Village: Mercer
A few weeks ago, a favorite women's clothes shop, Mercer (University Village) held their clearance sale to prepare for the spring arrivals. We are familiar enough with this shop to track their changes in merchandise and we noted several changes--all of which impressed us.
The look is less juicy (as in Juicy Couture) and more post-sorority friendly. In fact, we did not encounter a single JC item in the store. Instead, along with the Diane Von Furstenburg and Michael Kors of former years, were more lesser-known lines. We were especially drawn to the Project E vintage pieces. We liked their take on the striped button-down shirt, a short-sleeved navy- and white-striped version. It hit mid-thigh and was marked with two red x’s on the side seams. The red x’s were repeated on the right collar bone and trailed off as if the sewer had gone for a coffee break and forgotten to tie the knot. These red accents were reminiscent to a Raggedy Ann outfit, but it was not overplayed or juvenile, rather, we liked the sense of play and individuality, all which could be ours for only $88.
Another Project E Vintage piece was their take on the drawstring waist tank ($65). Theirs was the softest, palest pink, with a ruffled button placket and neck tie. We loved Bailey’s white blouse ($172) with tiered cap sleeves and a long torso. Some of the pieces did not fit so well. A Diane Samandi white crocheted top ($195) presumed that we either had an extremely large expanse between our neck and our cleavage or that Jennifer Lopez was our fashion idol.
Jeans had a less prominent place in the store than in earlier times, displayed against the back wall rather than occupying a table up front. The prices in the entire store are lower than in past years, too; fewer items cost over $200 and more were under $100, perhaps a consequence of carrying less-prominent brands. On top of this, the store is now offering a member’s card that takes 15 percent off full-priced items. With all these positive changes, Mercer has become an even more favored destination for shopping.
