The sun spilled through the windows onto a coffee table, where a pile of Free People wholesale catalogs featured a model in flowing pantaloons. Skinny jeans in yellow, blue, and red lay on the chair opposite me.
Of course, pants are important, too, Hayne said, but the Philadelphia girl is chic. She has a busy lifestyle and that means a core wardrobe that takes her from day to night quickly.
There will more shoes in the Center City store, too, Hayne said. That makes sense: After all, the Philadelphia girl walks a lot.
The second floor will house Intimately Free People - a collection of lingerie and layering pieces. The thought is that Philadelphia girls take more fashion risks and will experiment with layering.
Here is the rub: "The price points will be higher," Hayne said.
Why?
Shoulder shrug.
Hmm.
I'm a little unsure about Free People's dress-heavy fashion strategy. After all, most retailers are pushing the new pants silhouette. This makes total sense because we've been in a serious dress cycle for years now.
At the same time, however, I'm a working Philly girl and I love to wear dresses in the summertime; they are easy to slip into and layer. And even at the usual $100-plus price point, I've never met a Free People dress I didn't like.
Hayne's idea that the Philly girl will want to buy dresses this year (despite the fact that the rest of the fashion world is pushing pants) got me thinking about the Philly girl's fashion reputation.
Nearly all fashion retailers like to conceptualize their own type of girl. The Diane Von Furstenberg girl is strong. The Rebecca Minkoff girl is easygoing. The lululemon girl is athletic. Of course, all of these girls are fashion-forward.
