Walk through any Brooklyn neighborhood
these days and you’re likely to come across another thriving
thrift shop.
In the fall, Care Partners opened a thrift boutique on Atlantic
Avenue, and Goodwill Industries opened a "superstore"
on Livingston Street at Bond Street. Both are doing well. Beacon’s
Closet in Williamsburg, which has already doubled the square
footage of its store in the past year, is now looking to open
a second location.
While some of the retailers, such as the Salvation Army store
on Atlantic Avenue, proudly call themselves thrift shops, others,
like Crush on Smith Street, say they sell vintage clothes. Both
are used clothes, so what’s the difference?
According to Patricia Mears, assistant curator of costumes and
textiles at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, which has 300,000 items
in its department, "’Vintage’ is anything more than 20 years
old." Dr. Desiree Koslin, a professor at the Fashion Institute
of Technology in Manhattan says "vintage" is "a
changing concept, which used to denote maybe late-19th century
clothing and certainly early part of the 20th century, but now
it can be clothing from a generation back that’s already considered
vintage."
Today, vintage is the term applied to thrift shop clothing that
can be considered "cool." For fashion-savvy Brooklynites
finding that cool vintage item in the racks is an inexpensive
way to look like high fashion for less, because, according to
Mears, many famous designers, such as Donna Karan, collect vintage
clothing to use "as sources for inspiration" for their
designs.
To the trendy Brooklyn consumer, that means wearing a vintage
dress or shirt is a way of looking fashionable without paying
haute couture prices.
But a fashionista should be careful not to overdo vintage.
"Very few people can do head-to-toe vintage," says
Donna Regii, owner of Slang Betty in Park Slope. "My customers
tend to mix old with the new and get a personal style thing going.
Everything looks fresh and they have their own personal statement.
My customers are hip to that."
Achieving that vintage look is easier than ever in Brooklyn these
days. While the experts say that the right label or a "sexy
provenance" (such as an item formerly worn by Marilyn Monroe)
may increase an item’s value in an auction house, when shopping
for clothes to wear, the beauty or value of the item is in the
eye of the consumer.
Mears believes that vintage and thrift store shopping is increasingly
popular in a society where the glamour is gone from everyday
dressing.
"There are many theorists," says Mears, "but my
feeling, as a person who used to buy vintage, is there’s a lack
of glamour in our time. People are searching for something with
a more romantic quality in this era of the dress-down day. It’s
driven by designers, not copying, but offering a fresh perspective
on vintage clothing. It’s a phenomenon of the young."
Where to shop
Where to shop to find this vintage look? GO Brooklyn took to
the streets, and spent a lot of shoe leather (and money!) discovering
where you should go when you want something new – yet old – to
wear.
For ease of shopping, we were thrilled with Care Partners on
Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill. With clothes that are in pristine
condition (almost no spots or tears), brightly lit, roomy aisles
between racks and large dressing rooms, this is the place to
shop when you’re short on time. Offering men and women’s clothing,
the items are sorted by type: dresses, skirts, shirts, etc. While
most of the clothing was recent, I did come upon a spectacular
find: a 1960s, sleeveless brocaded dress with cowl neck and matching
collar-less jacket. While I could take or leave the dress, with
its cream flowers on a field of silver, the matching knee-length
jacket, with three-quarter-length cuffed sleeves, side-slit pockets
and a subdued silver sparkle will be perfect over slim-legged
pants for a gala evening at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Pricier than most items at the shop, the dress-jacket combo was
$65. While that was more than I wanted to spend – there are many
items well below that price tag – the store’s profits benefit
the Jacob Perlow Hospice of Beth Israel Medical Center and the
New York Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.
In Bay Ridge, proprietor Yolanta Critelli only hangs two years
old or newer women’s clothing on her racks at Consign Connection.
"It has to be in season and in style," says Critelli.
With most items in pristine condition and ironed, we found a
blue shirt with French cuffs, perfect for the office, for just
$9. There are lots of tops – such as sleeveless sweaters in a
range of colors – and many linen items that recalled 1920s summertime
elegance. Also on display were designer leather shoes and belts.
Here the bathroom doubles as a fitting room.
Originally from Rome, Critelli says she became interested in
thrift and consignment shops when she became a single mother.
"I was pushed to find a bargain," said Critelli. "Since
then I developed a passion for deals and bargains, because I
like to be trendy but I couldn’t afford $1,000 for Armani. I
found a middle way to look good, and it’s a lot of fun."
Another place that makes shopping – and spending money – easier
is 5-year-old Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg. This store has
men and women’s clothing, as well as hats, a large assortment
of pocketbooks and shoes. There’s such a range of ladies tops,
they’re arranged by color on the racks which makes assembling
a new outfit, from flip-flops to pants to shirt to hat to handbag
easy – and cheap. We put a complete ensemble together for just
$35!
Partner Cindy says the key to their success is volume. With clothes
that are priced to sell, they take in a high volume of clothes
from their fashion-conscious neighbors and sell a high volume
of them.
Beacon’s Closet will buy clothes from the public if they are
in-season and right for their racks. Choose cash or credit in
return. With this buy, sell and trade model, their racks are
stocked with fabulous, affordable finds and routinely replenished.
While the clothes may not all be in pristine condition – popping
seams and spots were seen – at these prices it’s worth the risk
to take it home and Shout it out. Beacon’s Closet also has fitting
rooms, which eliminates the risk of taking something home that
may look great on the rack but not on you. Beacon’s Closet has
a lot of material – literally – to go through, and it’s a pleasant
way to while away the afternoon.
For those who really love the thrill of the hunt there is the
tiny St. Jude Thrift Shop in Bay Ridge and the gigantic Salvation
Army Thriftshop on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill.
While St. Jude offers lots of jeans and some vintage accessories
with super low prices ($3 for a golden chenille sweater), it’s
cramped and the racks are jammed. The Atlantic Avenue Salvation
Army store is dauntingly huge in comparison. Racks upon racks
upon racks of clothes are sorted by type (pants, shirts, dresses,
sweaters, etc.) and not at all sorted for "coolness,"
which means that the customer could be searching for hours to
find that right item.
But the prices are extraordinarily low. I found a contemporary
pinstripe skirt suit for $15, vintage ’60s navy blue-and-white
striped dress for $4.99 and a white satin Betsey Johnson dress
for $5.99, as well as a light blue dress with a V-neck of ruffles
– vintage disco – for just a few dollars. Neither store has a
fitting room, but the clothes are priced to move, and both stores
benefit charities.
For the woman who’s serious about her vintage clothing, check
out 3-year-old Crush in Boerum Hill – which may be moving in
August. The store sells new clothes as well as vintage dresses
(from the 1950s through the 1980s) and purses (mostly 1950s and
1960s) in "mint condition" according to owner Tara
Sylvane. Stocking mostly "what I like that’s not damaged,"
Sylvane says her dresses are priced from $40 to $250 for an all-silk,
beaded full-length dress.
The higher price tag means customers must request to see the
items; pawing through the selections – wrapped in caution tape
– is not allowed. Crush sells new and vintage clothes along with
lots of kitschy, retro memorabilia. Though popular, its lease
is up and Sylvane looking for new space. For updates on the move,
and June sale, check with Sylvane and visit the Web site, www.crushstore.com.
Another store blending the old and new is 5-year-old Slang Betty
in Park Slope. Proprietor Donna Regii sells clothes from the
1980s and earlier including slips and dresses priced $75 and
under (with most dresses at $35). Regii keeps her vintage stock
limited so she’s "pretty picky. They’re in excellent condition."
The vintage items share the small space with new clothes – all
sharing Regii’s "classic funky style" that falls under
the heading "urban contemporary fashion." This boutique
also sells a lot of fishnet hose, silver jewelry and more. Regii
calls her stock, "fashion for the financially impaired,
so you can walk out with a great bag full of goodies for $150,
not just one item."
Now, with this research and advice, go forth Brooklynites and
shop for bargain clothing with lots of style. Create a new you
just in time for summer.
Beacon’s Closet, 110 Bedford Ave. at
North 11th Street in Williamsburg, (718) 486-0816
Care Partners Charity Thrift Shop, 475 Atlantic Ave. at Nevins
Street in Boerum Hill, (718) 852-2437
Consign Connection, 8715 Third Ave. at 87th Street in Bay Ridge,
(718) 491-6083
Crush, 244 Smith St. at Douglass Street in Boerum Hill, (718)
852-7626
Goodwill Superstore and Donation Center, 258 Livingston St. at
Bond Street in Downtown Brooklyn, (718) 923-9037
Saint Jude Thrift Shop, 8706 Third Ave. in Bay Ridge, (718) 745-9159
Salvation Army Thrift Shop, 436 Atlantic Ave. at Bond Street*
in Boerum Hill, (718) 834-1562
Slang Betty,180 Lincoln Place at Seventh Avenue in Park Slope,
(718) 638-1725
