Polarn O. Pyret, a clothing store founded in Sweden in 1976, recently opened two retail outlets in Manhattan. The new stores are located at 200 Chambers Street and 428 Columbus Avenue.
Polarn O. Pyret, a clothing store founded in Sweden in 1976, recently opened two retail outlets in Manhattan. The Upper West Side location opened November 27 and the Tribecca location opened December 8. The store aims to be the only stop parents need to make when shopping for their children. This has been the company’s philosophy in Sweden for the past 35 years, and it hopes to stay true to this motto in its New York stores.
Polarn O. Pyret separates itself from other clothing stores in large part by its unisex clothing line. About one-third of its collection is unisex, making the clothes suitable as hand-me-downs that would work for any child. Jennifer Athanason, president of Polarn O. Pyret USA, says, “There aren’t really substantial differences between little girls’ and little boys’ bodies until a certain age, around 7 or 8. We don’t want kids to look like little grown-ups; we want to really foster childhood in children.”
Some of the most popular designs at Polarn O. Pyret include outerwear, rainboots, and the brand’s traditional stripes, which can be found on many articles of clothing throughout the store. The stores also stock clothing for adults.
When the Upper West Side location opened, the flagship Stockholm store had a New York-themed party to celebrate. “We’re over the moon to be in New York City,” says Athanason. “We’re from Sweden, a country of nine million people…the city of New York is bigger than the whole country of Sweden!” Athanason confirms that the brand has plans for further expansion in the United States: “We’re a small brand with big aspirations.”
