Urban Outfitters - Blog

From Philadelphia

05/25/13 02:27PM

Making Time Memorial Day Weekend RAD-B-Q

Hey Philly! It's that time of year. YES, that time of year, where warm weather, good music, and the infamous #fishbowls all come together to form the Making Time Memorial Day Weekend Rad-B-Q at Bamboo Bar (927 N. Delaware)! So grab your bathing suits (UGHH girl, no, you're NOT look too fat to go swimming) and get ready for a night of dancing, sweating your ass off and cannonballing.

Now, no RBQ would be complete without some killer munchies, so the babes of PYT are going to be on the grill, cooking up some delish burgs (yes, there's a veggie option) and Little Baby's will be keeping you chill, with more ice cream than your face can handle.

Let's make this night the start to the best sumer of our lives. #HereComesTheSun and we couldn't be more psyched about it! See you there, bitch. -Ally

03/14/13 09:00AM

Irish Musicians

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, let's take a look at some of the awesome bands and musicians that have come out of Ireland over the years. Although there are numerous others (Bono, anyone?), these bands seem to embody the spirit of Ireland better than anybody else. And no, not all of the songs are about drinking. God.—Katie

The Pogues "Streams Of Whiskey"
Ah, The Pogues. While lead singer Shane MacGowan's teeth may leave something to be desired, their songs do not. If you feel like having the most depressing Christmas ever, you can always pop on the song "Fairytale Of New York" and think about how glad you are to not be spending Christmas Eve in a drunk tank.

Fionn Regan "Be Good Or Be Gone"
Fionn Regan sometimes flies under the radar, but he's as good an Irish musician as the rest of them. Although one of his best albums, The Shadow of an Empire, is kind of hard to find here in the states, make sure you give "Catacombs" off that album a listen because it is good.

The Undertones "Teenage Kicks"
Irish punk dudes The Undertones were catchy, cool, and were able to incorporate New Wave sounds into their songs without sounding weirdly '80s.

Stiff Little Fingers "Suspect Device"
While The Undertones focused more on teenage troubles, Stiff Little Fingers focused more on the actual troubles that were plaguing Ireland around the time of their inception. And that made them another good ol' fashioned Irish punk band.

Van Morrison "Tupelo Honey"
Van Morrison is like, the ultimate singer-songwriter from Ireland, and this live version of the song "Tupelo Honey" proves that he deserves every ounce of his success because da-da-da-damn. His voice is like honey, amirite?

The Cranberries "Linger"
Don't worry, the ladies are not totally forgotten. The Cranberries basically made the '90s their bitch with hits like "Linger" and "Zombie" and female vocalist Dolores O'Riordan's signature lilting voice. "ZAAA-HAAAM-BEH, ZAAA-HAAAM-BEH, EH-EHH, EH-EHH, OH-HO, OH-HO."

B*Witched "C'est La Vie"
Silly you, thinking you could get through a post on Irish musicians without seeing B*Witched. Don't worry, here they are! If you act like you don't love "C'est La Vie," the catchiest song ever made, then you're a goddamn liar.

03/01/13 09:27AM

Cabin Porn

I've been seeing lots of cabin pictures floating around the internet, most likely from the site Cabin Porn, and I have to say, if you're not into the beach scene for spring break, an adorable cabin is a pretty great second option. You might not get a tan, but you'll definitely have plenty of time to kick back and relax. Just make sure you don't accidentally end up in the cabin from Friday the 13th because yikes.—Katie

From Philadelphia

Kimchi Blue Emma Crepe Dress

02/13/13 11:50AM

Trend: Valentine's Day Looks

So, Valentine's Day is practically here, but do you really want to go with that little black dress again this year? This V-Day, I'm rooting for looks in various shades of red and pink for this oh-so-special day. I say try a magnificent bright or printed dress, or maybe a groovy jumpsuit for something new. Even if you don't have a Valentine, it doesn't hurt to look super fabulous anyway, right? Trust me, I've got you covered.—Maddie

Sister Jane Crepe Cutout Collar Dress
This dress is all proper with a collar, but then surprises you with a cutout. BAM.

Sparkle & Fade Surplice Flutter Sleeve Jumper
So, this is the crazy awesome jumpsuit I was talking about. I love the loose '70s cut that makes it so appealing. If you're not feeling as adventurous as I am, it comes in black too.

Pins and Needles Lace-Up Back Babydoll Dress
I'm currently in love with a dark, winter floral like this one, and the lace-up detailing is a super rad touch.

DV by Dolce Vita Agata Shirtdress
If a bright red isn't your thing, try something like this adorable polka dot print shirtdress.

DV by Dolce Vita Debbie Peplum Dress
This dress combines two things that are happenin' right now: peplums and animal print. PLUS it's red! Basically, I think this dress will signify that you're ready to have a good time.

Shop Valentine's Day looks.

01/29/13 11:36AM

A History of Girl Stuff: Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board

"Light as a feather, stiff as a board" is a slumber party staple and an age-old rite of passage for teenage girls. If you haven't at least attempted to summon the powers of levitation, you're doing your sleepovers wrong. To begin, one girl lays flat on the floor while the other girls surround her, placing one or two fingers underneath her. Then all the girls chant "light as a feather, stiff as a board" over and over, as they try to lift the middle girl off the floor. Eventually, she'll be as "light as a feather" and will be easier to lift, even rising a bit on her own. It's totally real guys. But how exactly did this whole thing start? - Hazel

1600's: The practice of LAAFSAAB (whoa, long abbreviation) was actually prevalent among young girls during the Great Plague of London. A naval administrator named Samuel Pepys saw four young girls lift a young boy who was lying straight on his back, claiming him dead. Pepys was so struck by it (aka creeped the fuck out, amirite?) that he wrote about it in his diary.

Photo by Georgina Mascolo

1862: In the book The Magician's Own Book, or the Whole Art of Conjuring by Arnold George and Frank Cahill, a game of LAAFSAAB is described as having been played successfully at a large party in Venice using the heaviest man at the party. No confirmation on whether or not this was a rad slumber party.

1940: Boarding school girls were keeping the magical LAAFSAAB alive during the '40s. An English boarding school teacher who saw the game being played was recorded as saying, "Whether by self hypnosis or not I do not know...it was more like real magic than anything I have ever seen." Dude, get with the program. It IS real magic! Duh! *insert major eyeroll here*

1996: This moment in history saw the creation of the best on-screen portrayal of LAAFSAAB in the movie The Craft. The movie, which tells the story of four teenage girls who discover the powers of dark magic and witchcraft, shows how this game should really be done. Levitation rules!

Today: Girls are still playing this game at slumber parties and the like. It's crazy that girls have been playing this game since the 1600s but then again, it doesn't seem that crazy, considering how all teen girls are attracted to magic and mystery and witchcraft to begin with.

01/25/13 04:42PM

Happy Australia Day!

I hope you're excited as THIS LADY!

From Philadelphia

The best, worst and WTF moments from the past year.

12/31/12 10:44AM

2012 Year In Review: Part 1

20. Holographic Tupac: Tupac Shakur was shot in 1996, when most of the Coachella-going population was, like, 10. But when he was resurrected in the form of a hologram on the final night of the three-day music festival, the crowd went INSANE. It was like we had seen the past and the future at the same damn time. Unfortunately, a couple of months later, the company who brought us HT went bankrupt. Wah-wah...

19. Boy bands are back: Maybe we can attribute it to more '90s nostalgia, but One Direction and The Wanted put boy bands back on top this year. And here at the UO Blog, we define 'on top' as 'when Lindsay Lohan gets in a fight over you.' (PS-OMG, Harry we love you!!!)

18. Seapunks vs. Azealia and Rihanna: Seapunks united to decry Azealia Banks and Rihanna for having teal and turquoise hair and loving dolphins, because apparently only TRUE seapunks are allowed to have teal and turquoise hair and love dolphins. Oh yeah, and 'seapunk' was a thing.

17. This dude: Kreayshawn blew the door open in 2011, and so in 2012, atrocity rappers such as Riff Raff, Brooke Candy, and Lil Debbie had their best year ever. And...the rest of us suffered for it.

16. Ikea Monkey: What do you get when you combine a monkey, a shearling coat, camera phones and a Canadian outpost of a Swedish furniture store? An internet sensation, that's what.

Start Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

From Philadelphia

The best, worst and WTF moments from the past year.

12/31/12 10:42AM

2012 The Year in Review: Part 2

15. Tumblr discovers a new icon: In The Hunger Games, 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence was a total badass. In real life, she was an animated goofball (albeit a hot one) with serious GIF potential.

14. YOLO: Drake's "The Motto" actually came out in 2011, but YOLO became 2012's most oft- and most over-used expression. Especially when used by idiots to explain why they did something stupid.

13. The Rookie Road Trip: We went on a road trip with Rookie Mag and The Ardorous that culminated in an awesome art show at Space 15 Twenty. We'd say that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, except that we really wanna do it again...

12. Grimes: From her songs to her videos, her artwork and her style (not to mention the pussy rings), there are more than enough reasons to go ahead and crown her Miss 2012, Queen of the Electronic Universe.

11. We met Lisa Frank: We went to visit Lisa Frank in Tucson, Arizona. On the outside, we were like 'Oh yeah, NBD. Just another day here at Urban Outfitters,' but on the inside we were all like 'OMFG!!!!!@#$%^%W$FHOLYCRAPITSLISAFRANK' and were so excited we thought we might puke rainbows.

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From Philadelphia

The best, worst and WTF moments from the past year.

12/31/12 10:40AM

2012 The Year in Review: Part 3

10. Lena Dunham and Girls: When it came to Lena Dunham's HBO show Girls, people either drank the Kool-Aid and dubbed in the best new show on TV; or gulped the haterade and denounced Dunham for everything from her weight to her famous parents and her all-white cast. Both camps are likely counting down the days until season two premieres in January.

9. Lana Del Rey: Speaking of haters, remember Lana Del Rey? When she appeared on Saturday Night Live, her performance went over about as well as if she had "clubbed a baby seal while singing the Taliban national anthem." Even Brian Williams hated it, but LDR went on to release two albums and a couple of very epic videos—co-starring alternately some hot dudes, and then some very un-hot dudes.

8. Instagram: It's doubtful that there was a single second of 2012 that WAS NOT documented on Instagram. And if there was anyone out there who got nail art but failed to 'gram it, well, then, we feel bad for you—just think of all the 'Likes' you missed out on.

7. Hostess shuts down: Talk about a bummer: Hostess goes out of business the very same month that marijuana was legalized (oh, the irony). For a while, there was talk that PBR was going to buy the cupcake manufacturer to revive it, but that was just a rumor made in hipster heaven. So, for now at least, if you want a Twinkie, you'd better start bidding.

6. The US Gymnastics Team: At the 2012 Olympics, the US Gymnastics team took home the gold, and 16-year-old Gabby Douglas won the individual gold, becoming the first African-American woman to do so. McKayla was not impressed, and the Internet loved her for it.

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From Philadelphia

The best, worst and WTF of 2012.

12/31/12 10:38AM

2012: The Year in Review Part 4

5. Honey Boo-Boo: We're not going to go as far as Barbara Walters here, but if you don't know who this six-year-old is, you clearly have not read magazines, been on the internet, or turned on the TV this year. And the rest of us envy you, because we can't seem to get away.

4. Cats: They're still popular! As for the Official Cat of 2012 award, it has to be a tie between Lil Bub and Grumpy Cat (who's real name is Tard, no less). We take this to mean that the Internet is finally starting to value inner beauty. At least when it comes to cats.

3. LA Hip-Hop: After Odd Future dominated 2011—more for their behavior than their music—L.A. represented in an unassailable way in 2012 with Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar. Ocean's Channel Orange and Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city dominated year-end lists, and we can only imagine that up in hip-hop heaven, Tupac is giving Biggie some serious shit about it.

2. November 6: Let's just say it was awesome.

1. Call Me Maybe: Duh.

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From Philadelphia

12/31/12 01:34AM

2012 Year in Review: The Best, Worst and WTF

2012 may have been bad, may have been good, but whatever it was, it was definitely NOT boring. Here, we compiled a list of our favorite moments from the past 12 months. Full disclaimer: This list does not represent all of Urban Outfitters, just the blog team. And admittedly, we're a bunch of dorks who spend too much time on the internet, and the rest of the company probably has way better taste than we do. XOXO—The UO Blog

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From Philadelphia

12/28/12 01:11PM

NYE At Home

If you're spending New Year's Eve at home, no need to be bummed about it. I mean, definitely don't start thinking about how you used to be a lot more fun while stroking pictures from past New Year's Eve parties and bemoaning the loss of your youth. Stay posi! Having a solo N.Y.E. can be fun. Big parties are usually such a letdown, anyway. Accept your life for what it is, and lean into your future status as stay-at-home cat-mom. I know I have.—Katie

Cupcake Booty Buddy
Yo, I mean, even if you have an actual party to go to, you should probably wear this.

Disposable Camera
When none of your friends show up to your party, whip out this camera to take pictures of yourself. The super adorable cat graphics that show up on the pics will help hide your tears.

Rextarossa Crew Sweatshirt
If you're gonna phone it in this year, at least get yourself a totally rad sweatshirt to flop on the couch in. Because c'mon, look at that.

BDG Tapered High-Rise Lounge Pant
Sweatpants that almost pass as regular pants will make you feel like you could go somewhere if you really wanted to, even if deep down you know you're not moving from the couch until January 2, 2013.

Minnetonka Cally Slipper
As you wander sadly around your house looking for Peanut the cat, your only friend, at least your feet will be toasty warm.

BDG Floral Button-Up Long-Sleeved Romper
The floral pattern will help hide the Velveeta cheese stains you're gonna get all over this thing.

Wanted Cat Pint Glass
Fill this with your beverage of choice at midnight and like I said, lean into that cat-mom status, man.

From Philadelphia

12/28/12 12:47PM

Five Resolutions You Can Keep

New Year's Eve resolutions are hard. Does anyone manage to keep them anymore? I don't think I've even bothered making a N.Y.E. resolution since like, 2003 because it's such a hopeless cause. This year, I've figured out an easy way to stick to some common resolutions, and it happens to involve pizza and beer. You're welcome.—Katie

Collapsible Pizza-To-Go Box
1. Bring lunch to work.
No one said it had to be healthy.

A Cat's Life By Gemma Correll
2. Read more.
Reading cartoons about cats is just as prestigious as reading War & Peace, I promise. If you're looking for a way to be terrible all year long, the book A Year Of Living Sinfully would also be a fantastic way to start off the new year.

Moxi Lolly Roller Skates
3. Be more active.
Why run on a stupid old treadmill when you can rollerskate?

Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit
4. Learn something new.
Most people want to learn a new language or something, but let's not kid ourselves with that. Learning to brew your own beer means you're one step closer to your REAL N.Y.E. resolution of never getting off the couch again. (If you're underage, mix together different sodas and imagine.)

Kozyndan For Society6 We Came Together Art Print
5. Become more cultured.
Cat art is art, too, people.

From Philadelphia

12/28/12 10:40AM

Dressed To Kill

New years celebrations are upon us and I haven't got a stitch to wear.. well, a tuxedo at least. I confess that the only time I had a new years event fancy enough to attend in a tux I had to borrow it from my father. To boost your confidence in sporting a tuxedo I offer generations of Bond men who seem to make it look oh so easy. At top we've got the Bond of today Daniel Craig in the new Skyfall, take note of the baller watch just peeking out of the cuff.

Let's take it back a little bit to the days of Sean Connery, my personal favorite Bond actor. Pictured here in 1964's Goldfinger Mr. Connery sports a classic off-white jacket with a red carnation. Also notice the pleated shirt in contrast to Craig's more minimal and modern shirt without any sort of embellishment.

In between those two we had Pierce Brosnan with his first Bond movie Goldeneye in '95 seen above with the lovely Natalya. Brosnan's tux style here is a bit more traditional with a big ole bow and a puffed up pocket square. Not nearly as streamlined as Daniel Craig's tuxedo but still, the man looks sharp and he even gets the girl. -Bob

From Philadelphia

12/27/12 11:18AM

Six Statement Pieces for New Year's Eve

A party is always better when you look your best, right? So why not bring in 2013 looking 100% awesome with my six statement pieces that can bring together your whole ensemble? For the ladies, I'm thinking sparkles, sweet kicks, and embellishments. For guys, go with classic silhouettes in cool fabrics that will make you stand out without going over the top, but still look like you're in for a rad time with your pals! - Maddie

Motel Sheer-Sleeve Sequin Dress
There's definitely no question that you'll see some sequins on New Year's Eve, but be the girl who shows up in iridescent ones!

Hawkings McGill Stanton Tweed Blazer
Bottom line, you can't go wrong with a simple blazer for a night out, and the salt and pepper look of this tweed makes things a little bit different.

Jeffrey Campbell Brazen Split-Wedge Heel
If you're going for a pair of shoes that stand out, Jeffrey Campbell has it down with a muted metallic and comfy wedge!

Your Neighbors Dress Polka Dot Shirt
A simple oxford shirt in my favorite print of the season: navy background with white polka dots. Need I say more?

BDG Cigarette High-Rise Jean - Pearls
Who needs diamond encrusted anything when you can have pearl encrusted jeans?!

Leopard Print Bowtie
Animal prints aren't just for the ladies, boys. I say add a finishing touch with this bowtie!

Shop party for girls and guys.

From Philadelphia

12/26/12 12:50PM

Style Icon: A Disco Ball

Wow, remember when disco balls had that spread in Vogue last month? Yeah, me neither, but they totally should have. Disco balls have got it going on! They're sparkly, shiny and, uh, sparkly. We should all follow in their footsteps, especially with NYE coming up. So, suit up, but make sure that suit is covered in glitter and/or sequins.—Katie

Motel Sequin Stardust Romper
A sequin covered romper? Be still, my heart.

Pins and Needles Sequin Blazer
When you're twirling away on the dance floor, you might get a little chilly. This sequin covered blazer will (probably not) warm you right up.

Pretty Polly Embellished Sparkle Tight
Real disco balls don't have legs, but if they did, I bet they would wear these tights.

Druzy Stone Earring
While disco hits from 1973 blare from the speakers, let these earrings do the talking for you.

Le Specs Halfmoon Magic Sunglasses
This disco ball theme is sort of devolving into a rave theme, but these sunglasses are too fun to pass up.

UO Nail Polish - The Sparkle Collection
If you are trying to emulate a disco ball and you don't put on sparkly silver nail polish, then what are you doing?

Vans SK8 Sequin High-Top Flatform-Sneaker
These sequined flat-form sneakers will ensure that you tower (and sparkle) over the rest of the crowd so that your sparkling goodness is visible to people far and near.

From Philadelphia

12/21/12 09:44AM

Style Icon: Heat Miser

Heat Miser is from the claymation Christmas special The Year Without A Santa Claus, and he's badass. Look at his totally rad sparkly shirt! His wide, red-rimmed eyes! That nose! That hair! A true style icon if I ever saw one. If I was the child of Mother Nature, I would definitely rather be Heat Miser instead of his brother Snow Miser because life would be a permanent beach vacation. Who cares that Heat Miser is mean? Bitches get stuff done.—Katie

Sparkle & Fade Velvet Cropped Top
This red velvet shirt will shimmer nicely as you melt away your stupid brother's ice castle.

Kimchi Blue Metallic Jacquard Skirt
When you're screaming at Santa for paying more attention to your Snow Miser brother, a good idea would be to wear this sparkly skirt because why not?

Kimchi Blue Velvet Chelsea Boot
You are the Heat Miser, lover of all things hot, and as such there is no such thing as too much velvet.

Color Club Hearts Nail Art
Even though you're really mean and nobody likes you, you can at least put a little love on your fingertips. It goes with the outfit.

NYX Glitter Powder
Glitter does not need a reason.

Classic Bob Wig
Your hair is your art, and it takes a lot to make it look so good. The first step is this beautiful pink wig.

Hair Wear Makeup
The second step is combing in some of this yellow hair makeup to make it look like your beautiful pink hair is some sort of flaming, bubblegum explosion.

Michael O'Rourke Rock Your Hair Hard Gel
The third step is to empty this entire bottle of hair gel into your hair because your hair needs to stand straight up. Like, way up. Like, you have to look like you got electrocuted, or you're not doing it right. If nobody likes it, you can just melt them.

From Philadelphia

12/21/12 09:34AM

End Of The World Parties

The so-called "end of the world" as told by the Mayan calendar is today and already I've received one million invites to parties embracing the end. It was only a little over a year ago that the last doomsday was predicted and parties were had. Whether or not you believe the hype, having a party seems like a pretty good way to go out. Let's take a look at some ways the occasion has been celebrated in film shall we? -Bob

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a new favorite starring Keira Knightley and Steve Carrell. Our two protagonists pull over to the wildest restaurant where the doomsday party just doesn't seem to stop. I don't want to spoil this scene if you haven't gotten around to seeing it yet, but things get a little frisky up in there.

The classic alien invasion flick Independence Day featured a rooftop party on top of the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles. These partiers might have not realized that they were greeting the end but what did they really expect from a giant spaceship? The moral is if you really believe in the end you should probably surround yourself around like-minded individuals.

Get real down-to-earth and embrace the end Melancholia-style, only for the diehard new age spiritualists. This bare bones party requires only some sticks tied together into a tee pee and your closest doomsday buds. Hell, this party might even be better done solo meditating under the protection of your tee pee.

12/20/12 03:07PM

Learn How to Rap a Present From Joey Bada$$

I can't help but just laugh at this video from Joey Bada$$ and crew on "How To Rap A Present." Watch as present get pulled from Santa's bag and freestyled about. "The Christmas tree's getting lit with me" is by far my favorite line and now I'm feeling totally ready for all the fun this weekend holds. -Ally

From Philadelphia

12/19/12 09:46AM

Who Wore It Best?

Gaga or our model Nate?

Shop Holiday Sweaters