Ann Arborites are known for casual attire. Sam’s on W. Liberty has been in business for more than 30 years selling jeans, flannel shirts, bandannas, mittens, and Converse sneakers in many colors. Bivouac on State sells well-made clothes for those who want to look outdoorsy, as well as some clingier fashions for women. Nearby, Fly sells loose, urban-hip clothing.

If men want to dress up, they can visit Vahan’s on E. Liberty, where Vahan Basmajian, the elegantly dressed owner, does his own tailoring, including shirt alteration. Renaissance planned to move its fine menswear and women’s business wear with an Italian accent from Main to McKinley Towne Centre in fall 2008. For clothes with U-M insignia, Main St. has the M-Den, while campus has Great Lakes Team Apparel on State and Moe Sport Shops on North University, an Ann Arbor icon since the days of leather football helmets.

The campus area has some tony fashions for women, from the chic but affordable Beanie June on North University and Allure on E. Liberty to the chic but more expensive Poshh. If you want to dress in the age-old Ann Arbor look of flowing gauze from Third World countries, there’s Orchid Lane, which also has more styled dresses from April Cornell. Stop in at Moda Blue in the Nickels Arcade for Morera seamless, breathable underwear made from cotton and bamboo. Adorn Me on Liberty sells hats, purses, and jewelry for the flowery, velvety pre-Raphaelite in us, as well as princess-type shoes. South University is a new magnet for under-30 fashions with Motivation Boutique, Party In Our Pants, and YCI Clothing.

Collected Works in the Shops at Market Place on Detroit St. sells loose-fitting clothes in natural fibers. Nearby in Kerrytown Market & Shops, Mathilde’s Imports offers more constructed but still comfortable styles, and V2V stocks young and sophisticated European clothing. At Main St.’s Ayla, the owners will not only sell you sophisticated European clothing but also teach you how to dress. Suwanee Springs on Main has a fine selection of youthful fashions and good bags and purses.

For footwear, Ann Arbor’s women like Footprints on Main and on South University and Mast Shoes at Westgate. Van Boven in Nickels Arcade sells elegant shoes for men and women in a storefront separate from its fancy men’s clothing store.

Recycled clothing comes in all styles. On campus, Ana Banana Nickels Arcade and Bella Rosie on E. Liberty mix up their hip vintage clothing with new clothes and jewelry. Star Vintage and the Getup on State also sell delectable vintage clothes, and on Broadway, St. Vincent de Paul is another vintage treasure trove. The heart of the recycled clothing trade is “resale row,” a group of stores on or near South Industrial—they include the Salvation Army store, Woman in the Shoe (on Rosewood), the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop, Top Drawer, and the upscale Klothes Kloset.

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