• American Apparel

  712 Broadway, at Washington Place, 646-383-2257; 373 Sixth Avenue, at Waverly Street, 646-336-6515

  American Apparel got famous by providing blank tees for Williamsburg hipsters to put witty slogans on, but the supersoft cotton and comfy- yet-fitted style of its shirts will stick around beyond last year’s trend. The L.A.-based company opened a store on Broadway in November to sell tees, tanks, underwear, bras, and shorts for men and women in a rainbow of colors and any style you like, so long as it’s basic. Prices are basic, too. Despite the shop’s “sweatshop-free” philosophy, prices rarely exceed $25.

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine