We
are not claiming to know the best fashion boutiques in New York City. The reality is that we have no clue about
your personal taste preferences. How
could we possibly write a blog that indicates that we know the best in town? Wouldn’t the best be subjective. The reality is that Manhattan has tons of
amazing retail options for the style savvy shopper. We are not going to be dishonest and promise
you the top 10, top 25 or top 100. Below
are a few resources to help “you” decided which are your favorites. Go to the stores, and you decide. By the way, after you review the stores,
please let us know your opinions. You
can use the comment area at the bottom of this page to help others learn more
about your preferred destinations.
Without
a doubt, New York attracts some of the leading minds in fashion. It is understandable, that many of these
fashion mavens would open retail stores in this fine city. From Fifth Avenue to
shop-centric SoHo, if a designer's clothes sell, they sell in the boutiques of
New York City.
If
you are ready to explore options, let’s begin our journey.
A
few important destination:
First,
let me give you a few of the obvious choices for finding designer fashion in
New York. Barney’s, Neiman Marcus, Lord
& Taylor. OK, let’s know move onto
some of the smaller options.
From
the day that Dor L Dor opened their
doors on Nassau St. in New York City, it has received nothing but great reviews
and droves of customers. When the owner had his original vision of opening up
the boutique, he wondered how to set it apart from all the other chic shopping
locations in the area. Similar to many
other new retail store owners he was anxious to see how the city would react to
his taste in trends. Fortunately for him, everyone reacted better than
expected! Dor L Dor blossomed due to
these values, and is currently open in three different locations; New York
City, Hoboken, and Brooklyn. The fashion remains up-to-date with every season’s
hottest trends for the young-minded yet classy. “You need to feel good leaving
our store,” says the owner. From the clothing, accessories, and their prices,
to the staff, Dor L Dor welcomes you to come on in, shop around, and leave with
a smile! After having your fill at Dor L
Dor, head on over to the Mystique Boutique which is a
women's clothing store with locations in New York's SOHO neighborhood. If you
are feeling a bit lazy, you can get your fashion online which will be shipped
directly from their SOHO store. If you
are broke in New York, you may want to shop there for reasonably price garments
(not this may change).
DASH New
York was the third of the DASH boutiques and offers more upscale New York
fashions. If you watch the popular E! reality-TV series about Kim and Kourtney
you know about DASH boutique. If you are
visiting NY or live here, you can stop by the shop and check it out. Another place you may want to review would be
Madonna and Co which is dedicated
to putting the thrill back in shopping with apparel and accessories as unique
as the woman who wears them. Similarly, OAK a New
York-based cutting edge retailer offering men's and women's designer clothing,
shoes and accessories would be a place you definitely would want to explore if
you have some free time.
Vivaldi
Boutique one of New York City's top fashion boutiques and destination for
women's designer clothes, Vivaldi Boutique is a treasure trove of fashion for
special occasions. Don’t forget to also
visit Intermix which is a
multi-brand fashion retailer with an assortment focusing on the most exciting
fashion trends and the finest mix of emerging and established designers.
If you are shopping specifically for menswear,
you may want to stop by at Odin in the East Village. They are located at 328 E 11th St, but double
check the address before visiting just to make sure I have listed that
properly. Apparel Search always tries to
provide accurate information, but we are only human. Odin
features brands like Shipley Halmos, Rag & Bone, Trovata, as well as little
known brands like Engineered Garmets and You Must Create
Addresses of Interest:
Note: if you plan on visiting any of these
fine retailers, please double check the address just in case they have moved;
that does happen on occasion.
3.1 Phillip Lim
(212) 334-1160
115 Mercer Street,
New York, NY, 10012
Agent Provocateur
(212) 965-0339
133 Mercer St,
New York, NY, 10012
Balenciaga
(212) 206-0872
542 W 22nd St,
New York, NY, 10011
Boutique Ludivine
(646) 336-6576
172 West 4th St,
New York, NY, 10009
Buccellati
(212) 308-2900
46 E 57th St,
New York, NY, 10022
Calypso St Barth
(212) 941-6512
150 Lafayette St,
New York, NY, 10013
Dalaga NYC
(718) 389-4049
150 Franklin Street,
Brooklyn, NY, 11222
Darling
(646) 336-6966
1 Horatio St,
New York, NY, 10014
Ellen Christine
(212) 242-2457
255 W 18th St,
New York, NY, 10011
Diane Von
Furstenberg (learn more about
Diane Von Furstenberg on Apparel Search)
(212)
741-6607
874
Washington St,
New York, NY, 10014
J. Mendel
(212) 832-5830
723 Madison Ave,
New York, NY, 10021
Kiwi Design Co.
(718) 622-5551
78 7th Ave,
New York, NY, 11217
Miu Miu - SoHo
(212) 334-5156
100 Prince St,
New York, NY, 10012
Otte
(718) 302-3007
218 Bedford Ave,
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
Pas de
Deux
(212)
475-0666
328 E.
11th Street,
New York, NY, 10003
RePop
(718) 260-8032
68 Washington Ave,
Brooklyn, NY, 11205
Shop
(212) 375-0304
105 Stanton St, (this is the lower East
side of Manhattan)
New York, NY, 10002
Staerk
(212) 343-1160
182 Mulberry St,
New York, NY, 10012
Oh, what did you say. You want even more of a selection. Wow, you really are rambunctious today. Seeing that you are not yet tired of
reviewing stores, here are a few more that may wet your appetite for style.
Comptoir des Cotonniers
Rooted in an elegant South of France sensibility, Comptoir des
Cotonniers turns out tunics, crisp pants, and trenches. It has an earthy vibe
and is cut in a primarily neutral palette, with loads of special touches. Located
at 155 Spring Street in SOHO
Daha Vintage
The emphasis here is on vintage footwear and handbags—'70s
boots, perfectly ladylike '60s heels—though there are also multiple racks of
similarly downtown-inflected blouses and dresses. 175 Orchard St. Les
Dunderdon
Started by a Swedish carpenter in 1997, this Goteborg-based
collection has only three outposts across the globe. The New York store has the
feel of a modern barn, which is the perfect counterpoint to its pared-down,
workwear-inspired styles. 25 Howard St. SOHO dunderdon.com
Fille de Joie
Styled after a Parisian boudoir, this over-the-top spot—complete
with Persian rugs and leopard-print ottomans—offers an exuberant selection of
Christian Dior slips and sequined bed jackets. 197 Grand St. in Williamsburg. Williamsburg is a neighborhood of 113,000
inhabitants in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to
the north, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick and Ridgewood, Queens to
the east and the East River to the west.
Moon River Chattel
This long-standing shop feels like a relic from the early 1900s,
since Moon River Chattel so successfully channels the vibe of an old-world
general store. Its elegantly pared-down, low-tech versions of everyday items
will have you clamoring to buy them all, whether it's a boar-bristled
hairbrush, milk glass schoolhouse light, or a perfectly cast pharmacist's jar.
62 Grand St. Williamsburg
Pas de Deux
Men's boutique Odin burst onto the shopping scene in 2004,
transforming the closets of legions of NYC guys overnight. Eddy Chai and Paul
Birardi have a real vision for what's cool, and it's equal parts laid-back and
tailored. When they turned their attention to women last September, they
created a boudoir-like Alice in Wonderland space, where cubbies hold Loeffler
Randall heels and stunning silk shifts from Wayne. Bonus: Den, two doors down,
is an outlet for both stores. 328 E. 11th St. East Village. The East Village is a neighborhood in the
borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south
of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side. The area was once generally considered to be
part of the Lower East Side, but began to develop its own identity and culture
in the late 1960s, when many artists, musicians, students and hippies began to
move into the area, attracted by cheap rents and the base of Beatniks who had
lived there since the 1950s. The neighborhood has become a center of the
counterculture in New York, and is known as the birthplace and historical home
of many artistic movements, including punk rock and the Nuyorican literary
movement.
The Reformation
The premise of this brand-new spot from designer Yael Aflalo is
to turn dead-stock fabric into turn-of-the-century-esque pieces, such as silkcamisoles with lace-inset backs and simple chiffon jackets. The new line fits
right in with the actual vintage items on the wrought-iron racks, like black
slips that have been artfully reworked into dropwaist dresses. 143 Ludlow St.
in the Lower East Side.
The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt
There's no shortage of excellent museum stores in New York, but
we're inclined to put Cooper-Hewitt's at the top of our list. Run by a former
product manager for New York's most inspiring home goods shop, Moss, it carries
an expertly curated selection of modern design hits, all arranged in bright
green cubes within a darkly glamorous vestibule of Andrew Carnegie's former
mansion. Spindly candlesticks from Ted Muehling rest next to an array of
coffee-table books and Rodarte necklaces.2 E. 91st St. in the Upper East Side cooperhewittshop.org
Stella Filante
Before opening their store, sisters Hasna and Leona Erziak were
styling French celebrities and decorating homes in Marrakech. As you step into
the shop—which sprung up only six months ago—both influences become immediately
apparent. The walls are decorated with cutout Moorish motifs, and the items for
sale are exactly what you would want to pack for St. Barths: Heavily
embellished Antik Batik tunics and floral dresses from American Retro are
highlights. 156 Ludlow St. in the Lower East Side of Manhattan stella-filante.com
Store 518, General & Fine
Designer Nadia Tarr (known for the Butter by Nadia dress)
decided to open a shop in Carroll Gardens when her insatiable flea marketing
got out of hand and she needed a repository for all the treasures she had mined
over the years. It's easy to tell that she loves everything in the store, from
pristine '50s Mexican dresses to blue enamel Victorian lockets. Her clothing
line is also here, plus every conceivable kind of retro-packaged candy. 518
Court St. Carroll Gardens store518.com Just an FYI, Carroll Gardens is a
neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, USA. The area is named
for Charles Carroll, the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of
Independence. Carroll Park is a block-long area of playgrounds, walkways and
sitting areas between Court and Smith Streets, with Carroll Street as its
southern boundary and President Street on the northern side.
Thistle & Clover
Though Rand Niederhoffer and Camilla Gale only graduated from
college in 2005, their first retail adventure already has a standout
reputation. Every piece feels special and handmade, since the twosome focus on
affordable, under-represented lines like Dace and Wren. They even host a
quarterly open call in search of the next big thing, where they look at labels
that have yet to land their first store account. 221 DeKalb Ave. Fort Greene thistleclover.com For those of you not aware, Fort Greene is a
neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Part of Brooklyn
Community Board 2, Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on
the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated
Historic District. It is located in northwest Brooklyn, just across from Lower
Manhattan and north of Prospect Park.
Malin Landaeus
Helmed by stylist Malin Landaeus, the color-coded racks are
loaded with pristine picks from the '50s through the '80s. 157 N. Sixth St. Williamsburge
646-361-0261
Narnia Vintage
This sliver of a spot is particularly well-loved for sticking to
current trends: It's all vintage inside, but nothing ever feels dated. 161
Rivington St. in the Lower East Side
Odd Twin Trading Co.
This Park Slope newcomer has a retro sensibility, as evidenced
by the snap-button blouses and perfectly worn-in leather jackets. 164 Fifth
Ave. Park Slope. In case you are
curious, Park Slope is an affluent neighborhood in northwest Brooklyn, New York
City. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth
Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and Prospect Expressway to
the south. Generally, the section from Flatbush Avenue to Garfield Place (the
"named streets") is considered the "North Slope", the
section from 1st through 9th Streets is considered the "Center
Slope", and south of 10th Street, the "South Slope". The neighborhood takes its name from its
location on the western slope of neighboring Prospect Park. Fifth Avenue and
Seventh Avenue are its primary commercial streets, while its east-west side
streets are lined with brownstones and apartment buildings.
Pilgrim
This brand-new endeavor on the outer edge of the Lower East Side
is home to Bonnie Cashin who designed Coach bags and Courrèges shifts, along
with a house collection of '60s-inspired silhouettes. 70 Orchard St. on the
Lower East Side.
Shareen Vintage
The original Shareen occupies a gigantic warehouse in L.A., and
though it only opened in 2006, it's quickly become the place in town to score
affordable vintage. Owned by a former stylist, the selection at the New York
store is slightly more pared down but just as spot-on, like perfectly turned
out winter coats and printed shirtdresses.. 13 W. 17th Street, Second Fl. Chelsea. If you are not yet aware, Chelsea is a
neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The
district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the
north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies
between the Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and Seventh Avenue – to the
east, and the Hudson River and West Street to the west. To the north of Chelsea
is the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, also known as "Clinton," to
the northeast is the Garment District, to the east are NoMad and the Flatiron
District, to the southwest is the Meatpacking District and to the southeast is
the West Village.
Stella Dallas
Packed to the rafters, this long-standing store is best-known
for trafficking in party dresses, which makes it one of the first places to go
if you need a special-occasion, one-of-a-kind gown. 218 Thompson St. in
Greenwhich Village. Greenwich Village, often referred to by locals as simply
"the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side
of Lower Manhattan in New York City, in the U.S. state of New York. A large
majority of the district is home to upper middle class families. Greenwich
Village, however, was known in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries as an artists'
haven, the bohemian capital, and the East Coast birthplace of both the Beat and
'60s counterculture movements.
Topshop
When this famed High Street retailer from the U.K. finally
unveiled its three-floor emporium earlier this year, crowds lined up for days
to get inside. The wealth of affordable, envelope-pushing items, from leather
jackets to floral-print tube dresses, rarely disappoints.478 Broadway SOHO topshop.com
In God We Trust
What started as a small operation in 2005 has quickly grown into
a mini boutique empire. While the house clothing label used to be available in
a wealth of stores across the country, these three spots are now the only
sources for snapping up the line's smartly turned-out jackets and Peter
Pan-collared blouses. They also sell choices from labels like Eskell. 265
Lafayette St. SOHO 212-966-9010; 153 Ludlow St. LES 212-228 1055; 135 Wythe
Ave. located in Williamsburg. ingodwetrustnyc.com
Inventory
This warehouse-size outlet carries a constantly rotating cast of
designers at steeply discounted prices. At last check, there were ample picks
from Cheap Monday, Quail, and
Devotte, though the stock is switched up
weekly.237 Lafayette St. SOHO
212-226-5292, inventorynyc.com
New York Adorned
Part tattoo parlor, part jewelry boutique, this East Village
stalwart—which just unveiled a new outpost in Brooklyn—is where
fashion-industry insiders get inked or at the very least snag exotically worked
necklaces. Turn here for intricate hammered gold earrings by owner Lori Leven
and rough-cut gems set into gaping claws by Elizabeth Thompson. 47 Second Ave.
EAST VILLAGE 212-473-0007; 376 Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg 718-782-0007
Bird
Jennifer Mankins, who started her career at Barneys before
becoming the head buyer for Steven Alan, opened her first Bird in 1999, and
over the last decade she has steadily established three of Brooklyn’s most
compelling boutiques. Mankins has a visionary eye for mixing offbeat fabrics
and textiles, positioning exuberantly patterned Tsumori Chisato blouses
alongside madras skirts from A.P.C. and printed dresses from Jackson, Johnston
& Roe. 220 Smith St. COBBLE HILL 718-797-3774; 316 Fifth Ave PARK SLOPE
718-768-4940; 203 Grand St. Williamsburg, 718-388-1655
Blueberi
Occupying a refurbished industrial space, the globally infused
Blueberi offers an eccentric array of items you'd be hard-pressed to find
elsewhere—or at least hard-pressed to find sold together in one store. There
are Karen Walker tunics painted with images of roosters, trade beads from
Africa, bright patent belts, and Victorian-era hats. 143 Front St. DUMBO. No, Dumbo is not a reference to the Disney
elephant. Dumbo, an acronym for Down
Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, is a neighborhood in the New York City
borough of Brooklyn. It encompasses two sections: one located between the
Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, which connect Brooklyn to Manhattan across the
East River, and another that continues east from the Manhattan Bridge to the
Vinegar Hill area.
Dear Fieldbinder
Dear Fieldbinder specializes in effortlessly chic, beautifully
modern pieces like tailored Lauren Moffatt blouses and chunky Twinkle by Wenlan
sweaters: the type of items that will quickly become favorites. 198 Smith St. in
Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn. dearfieldbinder.com Cobble Hill is a neighborhood in the New York
City borough of Brooklyn, USA. Bordered by Atlantic Avenue on the north, Hicks
Street to the west, Court Street on the east and Degraw Street to the south,
Cobble Hill sits adjacent to Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights with Carroll
Gardens to the south.
Dear Rivington
Shopping at this newly relocated spot feels akin to visiting the
closet of an avant-garde Miss Havisham: It's washed with white paint, and a
giant Victorian birdcage sits in the front, overflowing with yards of frothy
tulle. There's a mix of vintage, plus the house line of interestingly cut
ivory-hued vests and slouchy dresses. A slick second level hosts an array of
home pieces, like lighting fixtures and stationery. 95 Rivington St. Lower East
Side 212-673-3494
Début
Set up like an art gallery on an overlooked stretch of Mulberry
Street, Début gives each item its own placard, detailing its designer and
materials. As the name suggests, the emporium specializes in the sort of
emerging talent that can't be found elsewhere. 298 Mulberry St. NoHo, debutnewyork.com NoHo is not a mis-spelling of Soho. NoHo, for North of Houston Street (as
contrasted with SoHo, South of Houston) is a neighborhood in the New York City
borough of Manhattan. It is bounded by Mercer Street to the west and the Bowery
to the east, from East Ninth Street to East Houston Street. NoHo is primarily made up of loft apartments,
which in turn makes it one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods in
Manhattan.
Eva
Eva's exciting re-emergence on the Bowery this March (it
shuttered its Mulberry Street location last year) brings a much-needed shopping
infusion to the underserved East Village. Filling a sliver of a space, the
selection reflects a slick, indomitably progressive aesthetic, as evidenced by
brands such as Henrik Vibskov, Staerk, and Samantha Pleet. 355 Bowery East
Village
www.timeout.com/newyork/best-shops-in-nyc
www.nymag.com/visitorsguide/shopping/boutiques.htm
www.nyc.com/best-of-new-york/best_clothing_boutiques_in_new_york.s1904/
www.luckymag.com/shopping/stores/guides/new_york_city/neighborhoods/top_100
www.elle.com/life-love/travel/best-stores-in-new-york-city
If
you enjoy our NYC recap, you may want to learn about other stylish destination
from around the globe. Fortunately, we
have a section for this right here on Apparel Search. In our consumer section, you will find a
destination section that will guide you to locations such as Milan, Paris,
Rome, London, and more. Hopefully, you
will find the information educational as well as entertaining.
Enjoy
your experience in the big apple. Make
sure you look both ways before crossing the street. Cabs move very fast.
Please
let us know your favorite clothing boutiques in New York. List your suggestions and thoughts in the
discussion area below.
Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post.
Read more fashion boutique blog posts here on the Fashion Blog.
