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Layers London: The Art of Fashion

Layers London: The Art of Fashion When it comes to dream-shopping, few stores offer the wide range of fantasies that Layers London affords. Created by Keven McDermott and Cheng Qu, the concept store stocks not only bigger names like Rad Hourani and Gareth Pugh, but also up-and-coming designers. The selection is curated perfectly; while there’s plenty of variance in styles, everything feels like it fits side by side. The prices are such that you won’t be stocking your wardrobe here exclusively, but you can easily find a dozen needful things that will make you set aside your extra cash for. Here’s a few of our top picks that will help make your AW wardrobe something truly special.

BOTTOMS
Normally people talk tops before anything, right? But sadly you generally can’t show your bare butt+balls in public, so let’s cover that first. Lately I find myself eschewing the skinny jean in favor of slightly more voluminous pants. These slouch-tucked trousers from Forme D’Expression are technically womenswear, but nix the suspenders and they totally work as unisex. Clean, lovely and extremely comfortable. The double layer long skirt from Damir Doma is equally stunning. Doma’s blend of futuristic and traditional world influence creates something uniquely timeless.

TOPS
I fell in love with this knitted top from Individual Sentiments the first time I touched it. Immensely comfortable, the slightly extended arms add a level of snug coverage that makes this one of my favorite pieces of cold-weather clothing. Ma_Julius‘ wire-neck blouson is equally cozy, and the shock of white adds a nice contrast to the normal darker tones of cold-weather clothing.

SHOES
I’m a shoe whore. If I could, I’d wear a new pair every day. But since I’m just a writer, I have to make do with the occasional splurge. I’ve been lusting over the Damir Doma creepers for months now, and they still haven’t made them in dude sizes. As a consolation prize, however, you can pick up some beautiful horse leather creeper boots that will immediately become the coolest thing you own. For the girls, you can still get the normal creepers (you jerks) or the pony skin versions here. For something so sleek and sexy your junk will tingle, these unisex heeled boots from Gareth Pugh are the perfect choice. But if I had to pick any one thing from Layers London to shove my weird feet into, it would be the high tops by Julius. With beautiful criss-crossing straps and a zipper on the back to accommodate the lazy (hello there) these are perfect for high-class casual everydaywear.

ACCESSORIES
Ma+‘s box hat is a beautiful way to keep your head warm and handsome, as is the Serien Umerica hat with its buckled strap running down the back. For a sable-chic alternative to purses or wallets, Gareth Pugh combines both as a necklace-bag that’s almost too pretty to stretch out with nonsense like money and credit cards.

Neither you nor I are probably going to own even 1/3 of this lovely stuff anytime soon, but there’s surely one or two things at Layers London that you’ll fall in love with and say, ‘I need this in my life.’ Your bank account may not thank you, but your body will.

Published October 18, 2011.