Nina Tee

Free People began in 1970 as a small shop near the University of Pennsylvania, opened by Dick Hayne and a couple of friends. When the shop grew, it was renamed Urban Outfitters, and the Free People name was shelved until 1984, when it returned as a label of its own.

The early collections leaned on embellishment, flare and flutter, and that instinct is still the label’s signature. The dresses, tops, denim and shoes have a collected-over-time, vintage-leaning feel that makes them look less new than they are, in the best way.

If you’re drawn to pieces that feel a little more expressive and lived-in, Free People is an easy yes. It’s less about trends and more about mood — clothes that feel creative, feminine, and fun. The flare, the flutter and the embellishment have been there since the early days. They’ve outlasted most things from 1984.