NYC Duds

April 4, 2005 12:41 PM

New Yorkers: Where do you shop for clothes?

I hope this isn't too chatty a question, but I'm bored with my wardrobe and need new stores to check out. A survey of favorites would be useful to me, and perhaps others as well. That's why I left the terms of the question open: answers don't have to be stylish, cheap, muckster-friendly, überhip, or whatever--just tell me where you like to shop, and perhaps why. Much appreciated.

posted by muckster to Shopping (18 answers total)

Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg because --for me-- it is relatively cheap, close by, and since they sell used clothes I can get stuff there that I can't at the other places I might shop at. I have tried other used clothing stores (Andy's Cheepees, etc.) but this one covers my needs nicely and despite some fashion bombs that the buyers occasionally pick, the duds tend to not be duds.

H&M and the Gap serve me well for work clothes.
posted by safetyfork at 12:57 PM on April 4, 2005

Although, I will add that I usually dislike shopping at the Gap or any place where the staff are too "helpful" which is one thing Beacon's Closet doesn't suffer from. :)
posted by safetyfork at 1:04 PM on April 4, 2005

Century 21, although lately I think they are going down hill. You used to be able to get well made, italian pants like Uomo and Ferragamo pretty cheaply...I've seen less of that stuff lately.

I generally buy my clothing at the sale racks at these three stores: Club Monaco on 5th and 20th, Banana Republic on 5th and 15th and Century 21 at the World Trade Center.

If, however, you can afford to be extravagant, I would suggest anywhere in SoHo, including West Broadway.

There is another Beacon's Closet, mentioned above, on 5th Avenue and Union in Park Slope. There are also a lot of nice boutiques in that area, if you are a woman. If you are a man, you are SOL.
posted by spicynuts at 1:10 PM on April 4, 2005

I've started buying pants at Zara at 59th and Lex.

Century 21 was great for a while, but I haven't actually bought anything there in almost a year.

Sym's (60th and Park?) is where I get all my sport coats and dress shirts.
posted by bshort at 1:28 PM on April 4, 2005

My lady friends all love Anthropologie, but as a grad student I cannot afford to walk inside (& don't really care enough about wardrobe anyway). I mostly stick to the obvious choices (gap, urban outfitters, omd).
posted by mdn at 1:32 PM on April 4, 2005

My girlfriend has taken me shopping to Kohl's a few times, and when they're having sales, it can be super-cheap. (Cashmere sweater for $7.50!)

For menswear (well, dress-up stuff, as I have a fairly casual-dress job), I like Mens Wearhouse or Jos. Bank.

The Gap and similar, like Old Navy, are a boon for fashion-impaired guys like me who are basically looking for simple stuff that doesn't look bad.
posted by Vidiot at 2:30 PM on April 4, 2005

The Church of the Holy Trinity, on 88th St between 2nd and 1st Ave, has a thrift store in their basement on Saturday, from about 12-3. I just got a cute purple sweater and a pill box with Shakespeare's face on it for a total of $4 this weekend. And the store is run by the cutest old lady you've ever seen.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:34 PM on April 4, 2005 [1 favorite]

Century 21 -- but go when they open at 7:45 a.m. or you will be fighting very determined crowds of global fashionistas grabbing up the deeply discounted hipster Euro brands on the third floor. I think the selection is fantastic, but it gets very disorganized by middle of the day and the staff is too busy keeping stuff off the floor to bother with being helpful. And the fitting room situation is awful -- I just buy and return instead of trying on in the store. The return policy is pretty lenient.

Also, the Loehmann's in Riverdale is big and crammed with stuff at all price points, easily reachable by subway. If you're after a more civilized experience with prices to match: Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys. I prefer the old-school courteous atmosphere of the department stores (in addition to the nice big dressing rooms) to Soho shops, where the prices are just as steep but the clerks' attitudes are simply silly.
posted by thinkpiece at 2:37 PM on April 4, 2005

Try Daffy's too, but you have to dig--and i second Loehmann's.
posted by amberglow at 2:54 PM on April 4, 2005

Upper East Side: 'the ultimate in resale shopping'

The article they link to is no longer online but they list the places to shop.
posted by exhilaration at 3:10 PM on April 4, 2005

Um, are you a girl muckster or a boy muckster?

My favorite clothing is made by and sold at Sieze sur Vingt on Elizabeth Street - it's pricey but just beautifully made - I treat myself to a shirt or pair of pants here whenever I get a windfall. When my ship comes in I'll have them make me a suit.

For more casual wear the shirts I bought at Agnés B. Homme on Greene St in SoHo 10 years ago are still my favorites and still wearing well.

Ina sells used women's designer clothes in three locations in SoHo and uptown, and men's on Mott St near Houston. You can spend $80 on a shirt, but it'll be a beautiful Prada shirt that would have cost you $350 new. Turn-over is pretty good - I stop in every couple of weeks and find something I want probably once a month - but then I'm hard to fit, I find something I wish fit me almost every time I'm there.
posted by nicwolff at 4:19 PM on April 4, 2005

Response by poster: Oh, I'm a boy. Thanks everybody so far, and keep 'em coming. (I'm dying to find out where jonmc gets his outfits!)
posted by muckster at 4:43 PM on April 4, 2005

Beacon's Closet is passably inexpensive "vintage/hipster," but its more fun digging for shit (and paying less) at a sal-arms, goodwill, etc. There are a few of them, now.

Anthropologie/Urban outfitters are a scourge...they represent the worst of commodified subversion, and besides which, are owned by the same, republican-donating, sweat-shop using company. Plus, you may as well go to the mall.

American Apparel is the more socially conscious company, although they still sell an image and a life-style (that to anyone who really believes in it should't be able to be purchased). At least that extra money you pay goes to a decent wage for a garment maker, though, and not consumer-sponsored maintenance of the brand's image via expensive advertising.

If you are into the designer, "name brand" thing (and into paying discount rates for them), check out filene's basement marshall's, and loehmans, I guess.

there's always the free store in williamsburg
posted by pinto at 6:32 PM on April 4, 2005

I usually shop at the local discount stores. They usually have stuff like flannels, jeans, underwear and socks dirt cheap. They're all over our neighborhood. T-shirts I usually buy down in the Village at the rock and roll/head shop type places.
posted by jonmc at 7:04 PM on April 4, 2005

And I shop there because they're inexpensive, and usually immune to trends, which is always a plus.
posted by jonmc at 7:05 PM on April 4, 2005

New Jersey.

No tax.

If you must, Century 21.
posted by IndigoJones at 9:49 AM on April 5, 2005

For all my generic business casual needs, I hit Macy's during a sale...you can usually pick up a good pair of pants and a shirt for somewhere around $70. The men's dept. is not as much of a funhouse during the sales.

Also, you can get plain, unshrunk sup-r-tuf Levis at the Levis store in SoHo.
posted by paul_smatatoes at 11:21 AM on April 5, 2005

But not in 38x36! I am apparently some kind of pituitary freak whose size of 501s is only available special-order now.
posted by nicwolff at 5:56 PM on April 5, 2005