Dilemma. Its 3 am. It’s the Monday of orientation week. And I’m writing a blog, hoping the clicks of my keyboard don’t wake up the passed out man-candy in my bed (finally have a queen for the first time in my life!). Unfortunately, that’s not the problem; the dilemma is the awkward morning to come when he sleeps through me vacuuming my room, in hopes he’ll wake up and leave immediately. I mean, I don’t usually kick out guests (I normally just sneak out).
Anyway, as I use the glow from my laptop to survey the situation, I’m noticing the scattered clothing around my room. The shirt hanging from my newly painted shelf is a tacky plaid button-up, the shorts draped over my lamp are some shade of neon (a little too short and a little too tight), and the glasses thrown across my gorgeous hardwood floors are reminiscent of Woody Allen’s iconic frames. Ruh roh. He must be a hipster.
But enough about my problems, let’s talk large scale. Ithaca. Urban Outfitters in Ithaca (Yes, for all of you who weren’t here over the summer, it is open and running in full force. Now I have no regrets about ever coming to Cornell! HA). Aside from my personal issues with Urban Outfitters, not in general, but specifically the store located on Green Street, there is a larger issue at hand. Now bigger doesn’t always mean better, but in the case of men and this store, it definitely applies.
When you think Urban Outfitters, first you think trendy hipster clothing. Second, witty knick knacks. Third, cool furniture. All three parts are essential to the overall image of the retail establishment. Like any good design aesthetic, consistency is vital, not just for continuity and flow, but for marketing and advertising too. Everybody wants stability. And when men don’t measure up (literally), what else can we count on?
Ithaca’s newly opened Urban Outfitters definitely falls short in the design department of their store. Who thought college kids wouldn’t buy trendy furniture and idiotic trinkets (That be like me thinking this kid is going to take me out to dinner tomorrow night. It’ll never happen.)? If the editorial board decided photojournalism was all a sham, and threw out all the pictures in the paper, I can guarantee that no one would ever pick up a copy of The Sun. Photos are a crucial element in the design of our paper, and the flow of our content. Without Matt Hintsa (bad ass photography editor), the front page would be tiny black body text; a repetitive, monotonous trend, like the clothing at Urban Outfitters.