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Business & Tech

Defy the Forecast with Clothing that Straddles the Seasons

Teddy stocks transitional, inexpensive pieces to see you from winter to spring, and back to winter.

After last Friday’s summer preview had me discarding my worn-out gloves only to have to recover them from the trash the next blustery day, I headed to Teddy to tackle the wardrobe dilemma of seasonal flux.

Teddy (at Fifth Avenue near Prospect Place) stocks an assortment of cheap, transitional clothing that will see you through the unpredictable months. True, Beacon’s Closet just up the street is hard to beat for cheap but high-quality designer finds. But if you want something new and inexpensive, Teddy is worth scouring.

Lightweight knit dresses, short-sleeved sweaters and jackets in peacock hues will work whether or not you checked the forecast. Lots of items are currently on sale at 50 percent off, such as a Kersh short-sleeved sweater in black or pale pink with a decorative bow that is girlie, but not Barbie (reduced from $80 to $40). A versatile brown-striped, stretchy sweater dress by Press, reduced from $98 to $40, is another good buy.

“It’s kind of an eclectic mix,” said Lysa Cox, manager of the Park Slope store (There are two other Teddy branches in Cobble Hill and the Upper West Side.). “It’s Park Slope so you’ve got your working moms, you’ve got to have stuff for them. But there’s also more casual wear.”

There is also a large cabinet of jewelry that nods to the store’s beginnings, when Teddy stocked more accessories than clothing. The owner’s background is in jewelry, Cox said, so shoppers will find more baubles here than at most other boutiques in the area.

While plenty of items on the racks help straddle the seasons, Teddy is perhaps more suitable for shoppers with feminine taste. About a third of the store’s merchandise comprises dresses, and I found only two pairs of trousers on the racks, dangling like afterthoughts: one pair of leggings and a pair of thin, black harem pants.

One of the few masculine notes appears on the store’s clutch bags, which bear studded detailing ($38 for clutches with a wrist strap in dusty rose, orange or navy blue). At least they’ll weather any season.

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