By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Celebrating the opening of Aéropostale were, from left, store manager Claire Rathburn, district manager Joyce Stabbert, vice-president of visual merchandising Michael Cavallero, Chief Store Officer Mary Jo Pile, and regional vice president Judy Boyea. Michael and Mary Jo are in from New York for the back-to-back store openings at Ala Moana and Windward Mall.

Aéropostale opened at Ala Moana Center this morning, on the third level (ewa side), near American Eagle, Forever 21 and Spiral Girl. That area has become home to young shoppers, with clothing at Aéropostale aimed at the 13 to 19 set, or those who just want comfy kick-around clothes for summer.

Hawaii’s summer uniform: Bikinis, rubber slippers and shorts, all abundant at Aéropostale.

Sample prices: Graphic tees are two for $25; guys $34.50 polo shirts come with a buy-one-get-one-free offer; tote bags start at $9.99; and dresses are $24.99. The most expensive item I found, at $44.50, were a pair of the cropped jeans with ready-made pukas, which Morgen Chang tried on with other pieces, below. So cute for summer!

Morgen Chang steps out of the dressing room in Aéropostale.

Morgen attended the opening with her aunt Melissa Chang aka @Melissa808. Little did she know when she agreed to go that we would recruit her as a model for some of the clothes, in exchange for breakfast.

If you live on the Windward side, don’t worry about not being able to make the tunnel crossing right away. Aéropostale will open at Windward Mall on the 29th.

At the registers, a sign advertises a free Aéropostale drawstring beach bag offered with purchase during the grand opening.

Shoppers from Japan appear to find an armload of pieces affordable.

Afterward I checked out the BCBG sale, with some 50 percent off items offered at an additional 30 percent off over the Memorial Day weekend, a big one for sales. Better check in with your favorite boutiques.

I didn’t buy anything at the sale. I wanted to pick up one piece that would look best if I sliced it in half to wear as a separate top and skirt, but those “projects” often have a way of never being completed. At those moments I try to tell myself, don’t settle for anything less than perfect, something easier said than done.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm and is filed under swimsuit, T-shirts, Shop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.