Editor's Pick: White House/Black Market

My friends from high school and my college roommates have all repeatedly threatened to put me on the TLC show “What Not to Wear,” and the plethora of black clothing that fills my drawers and closet is to blame.

A black cardigan sweater is my go-to piece of clothing whether I am going to class or to something more formal. While I own some colored clothing, I always end up in black and end up facing comments like “you look like you are going to a funeral” or “you are looking particularly ‘goth’ today.”

When my roommate told me freshman year that she got her senior formal dress at a store that only carries black and white clothing, I actually did not believe her. No such store existed in the malls of Long Island, where glitter and bright colors seemed to be overtaking all of the store shelves that season.

Much to my delight, White House/Black Market opened in my local mall last summer, and, yes, every single article of clothing in the store is indeed black, white or both black and white.

The store first opened in 1985 in Baltimore Md. under the name “The White House.” According to their Web site, it was “a tiny women’s boutique exclusively offering white and ivory apparel and accessories.” Continuing its monochromatic theme, the store opened “Black Market” in 1995. In 1997, both stores combined to form the store White House/Black Market that exists today.

The store carries formal clothes (gowns and dresses), evening wear and even casual clothes, a versatile assortment for any occasion.

While the clothes in this store are somewhat pricey (tops range from around $70 to $100, bottoms are upwards of $50 and dresses are all at least $150 or more), the quality is evident, and most clothes sold there are such wardrobe staples that they are worth the extra money.

The store’s motto “exquisite women’s apparel in stunning shades of black and white,” while true, does not get across that the clothes are not just all black and all white, but mostly a combination of both shades, embodied in interesting patterns, designs and embroidery. 

Also, while on a whole the store mostly contains black and white, the store does carry jeans and khaki pants which defy this “exclusively black and white” branding it has set forth in its marketing.

Last year, the store gained a lot of media attention when Michelle Obama wore a dress from it when she co-hosted on the talk show “The View.” Almost immediately after the show aired, fans of both the show and Obama flocked to the store to buy the $148 ensemble Obama wore during the appearance, selling out the garment in most of the White House/Black Market boutiques.

In light of this, the store is marketing this season’s clothes as “White House Style,” a clever play on words that will undoubtedly help the specialized store stay afloat even in the midst of this tough economic time.

While most of the girls in college probably are not going to buy full wardrobes from this store quite yet, I definitely recommend purchasing a few select garments, or heading over there to explore some senior ball gown options.

The nearest White House/Black Market store to Fordham is at 136 Fifth Ave. and is definitely worth the trip downtown.