The bun is almost out of the oven at 201 Newbury Street, where none other than (pregnant pause) beloved London clothier
Ted Baker is slated to open its first New England location in mid-to-late October. Falling into the space previously occupied by Gap, the store's interior is inspired by a Mad Hatter tea-party motif: think a checkerboard floor, topiary tea pots, glass top hats used as ceiling lights, and a check-out desk assembled from stacked tea cups. Ted Baker (should the uninitiated need a primer) takes the high-end approach to similar kinds of simple, casual-chic wardrobe staples, but adding spiffy formalwear as icing on a stylish cake. Thumbing through the successful UK brand's Fall 2009 collection, we see the reliable range of achingly dapper menswear (layering hooded tops under smart, sharp blazers is a hot seasonal approach) and women's knits and scarves so cozy they scream for accessorizing with a warm apple cider. The opening quickly follows the recent debut of the designer's new line,
Born by Ted Baker, a super-casual men's collection of T-shirts and street wear complemented by a daily updated "lifestyle" website of cross-pond music news. However Baker makes it over here, by land or by sea, we look forward to this next fashion revolution.
