Some time in the 80’s, maybe the 90’s, boutiques, particularly in SoHo, began looking very sparse and minimalist. Sometimes an entire retail space might have just a few racks of clothing to look through. It was also a time when I noticed a general aloofness among the sales staff. I could enter a shop, look around, pull a few items off a rack, even try them on before someone working there would say hello.

I was walking down Broadway and saw a shop with a single rack of coats on display. It was November or so and I was in need of something for the winter months ahead. I stepped inside and began looking through the garments. The space was mostly bare and no one was in attendance.

After a few moments, a young well-dressed woman approached “Can I help you?” she asked. “No thank you, I’m just looking,” I replied. “I am not sure what you are looking for, but this is a hair salon,” she added.

It didn’t take me long to realize that the coats I was assessing were not for sale.