BU Style x ME+EM

ME+EM is one of those places that, as soon as you walk in, you realize you’re in good hands. The staff is having an excellent time, and it’s clear they enjoy each others’ company. The effect is that of being with friends. There’s a plush “boyfriend sofa,” an equally plush dog bed, and dog treats. No boyfriend treats though. . . Kidding. The music is fun and not too loud. And we could write pages and pages about their dressing rooms.

ME+EM strikes a balance between high-end luxury fashion and high-street ready-to-wear. Unfortunately for most people, high-end luxury fashion boutiques can often be alienating. Not so with ME+EM:

—Flattering lighting, but not the type of flattering lighting that tricks you into buying something you don’t need . . .

—Chargers for phones in the dressing rooms

—A clean and soft feel to every dressing room

—Sofas inside the dressing room for friends/family to offer their take on what you try on

When we shop at ME+EM, we’re also not looking for statement pieces or clothes that we’ll only wear to a specific event. ME+EM occupies a sweet spot of staple pieces with excellent tailoring that will last a long time. Wardrobe essentials, which we love. Anastasia, a manager at ME+EM, offered this:

“This is how customers are going to build their wardrobe. This isn’t where people really come for one-off investment pieces. Yes, it’s luxury, but I would say it’s affordable luxury. It’s a great price point, an accessible price point. Very classic chic looks that aren’t too trendy and not based on fads.”

It also offers a great range of style personality staples for people who score high in Soft, Classic, and Relaxed in our BU Style Assessment, with a healthy dose of Creative sprinkled in there. If you’re one to take your cues from celebrities (or at least to see how clothes move in the wild), check out Nicole Kidman, Cat Deeley, Trinny Woodall, and the Princess of Wales.

ME+EM was founded by former advertising exec Clare Hornby, who proudly says that her designs are “flattering . . . functional . . . and forever.” ME+EM is the perfect brand candidate for clothes with a low cost-per-wear calculation. They are high-end but not inaccessible. So, how do they keep costs down? They don’t market excessively, instead relying on word-of-mouth and foot traffic. They also only sell directly to customers, cutting out the middle man.

STYLE STATS

Price range: $$

Style personalities: Soft, Classic, Relaxed

Target market: Women

Known for: Timeless and functional designs for every occasion

Location: New York, NY; London

Website: https://www.meandem.com/us