Beacon's Closet - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

I love it, I need it; I resent it, I denounce it. Such is the schizo relationship I have with Beacon's Closet, a hipper-than-thou used/vintage clothing store in Williamsburg. Williamsburg is having a more and more difficult time remaining sincere and it knows it and doesn't care. Don't dare walk down the street in Williamsburg unless you are dressed to impress the hipster elite. That said, Beacon's Closet is situated in the perfect locale, though there's one in Park Slope I understand. I've not been to that one, but several times a year I hie over to the store in Williamsburg, huge and garishly pink, and subject myself to the unlistenable music they blast, in order to revel in the racks and racks of great finds, all color coded. It is there I found a brown, wool, vintage dress, empire waist and form-fitting, Like It Was Made For Me - $18.00. A pair of mahogany-colored boots, so beautiful a woman once actually stopped me in Union Square and said, "those are the most beautiful boots I've ever seen, where did you get them?" to which I replied with an attitude that made me loathe myself, "they're vintage"  - $30.00. Cashmere sweaters, one of a kind skirts and vintage sun-dresses, usually for well under $20.00.

Pants are sometimes more, but it doesn't matter because you won't fit into the pants. Even if they're marked size  6, they are really size 0, which makes me think that the hipsters that sell their clothing to Beacon's Closet are normal-sized on top, with little, teeny, tiny bottoms. And that brings me to the subject of selling clothes. They'll make you feel like crap for deigning to bring your hideous clothing, which they'll paw over and ultimately reject. And if they do  buy something, for store credit or cash, it's for way less than you expected. They'll take the stuff they don't buy and "donate it to charity;" so save the humiliation and just take it to the Goodwill bin yourself.

The dressing room staff is snooty, the cashiers don't know the meaning of the word, "smile" and no matter what you wear or buy there, you'll never be good enough for them. And yet, I adore it with all my heart.

Evaluation: Not sincere at all (but you should definitely check it out)


 

williamsburg
88 n 11th street
brooklyn, ny 11211
(718) 486-0816

park slope
92 5th avenue
brooklyn, ny 11217
(718) 230-1630

http://www.beaconscloset.com/

Cure Thrift Shop - Manhattan

A few months ago, I was sitting around having a high-flown discussion with a group of friends and artists around the theme of Value and what it meant to each of us. We came to the question, what is the one thing you wish you had but you would never buy for yourself ? My answer was: a really, nice bag, one of those purses that costs hundreds and ends up being a staple for years to come. I don't care about designer labels, but I've always thought that a really high-quality bag would be a classic addition to my vintage-based wardrobe. With the Value and Vintage themes in mind, I went with my husband to Cure Thrift Shop in the East Village, a place he had stumbled upon in his wanderings around town. He remembered what I'd said about the bag and he noticed they were having a big sale on purses. With very low expectations, I went, and there I found maybe a hundred bags of all kinds. I sorted through them, again with low expectations, until I began to notice that there was genuine Prada and Coach (even used out of my price range), but I realized that my chance was within reach. And then there it was. A brand new, pristine, Via Spiga bag, reddish brown leather, simple, understated, elegant, just the right number of pockets and just the right size. It was 35 bucks. I snagged it. (Later, I checked on line and found that the value of the bag, even on e-bay, was around $250 - very insincere of me, I know.)

Cure Thrift Shop doesn't always have that "bag event," running, but it's always a cool and interesting place to find clothes, furniture and other stuff. I found a beautiful Italian skirt there for $20, a linen blouse for $15, and though the selection isn't huge, I'd say they have just the right idea of the word Value. And your purchases go towards the cure for Diabetes. You can't beat that.

Evaluation: Very sincere

 

www.curethriftshop.com

111 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-7467

Village Style Vintage Clothing Store, Manhattan

 Buying used or vintage clothes is not only good for the environment but it's a way to support local businesses and have great style on a budget. Enter Village Style, a terrific little vintage shop in Manhattan's East Village that not only has lots of good stuff but prices it appropriately. Let's face it, vintage clothes, are still, after all, used clothes, and I object to places that price vintage items like they're made out of gold. At Village Style, you can find the cutest 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's dresses you've ever seen priced from about $20 to $40.00, plus skirts, blouses and plenty of great men's shirts, T-shirts, belts and pants. They also sell a handful of accessories like hats, shoes. cowboy boots and purses. It's not a huge store so you don't spend a lot of time pawing through rack after rack, but can find what you're after quickly and easily. Sizes vary too - they aren't all just teeny-tiny. I wouldn't exactly call the staff friendly; after all, they do have to maintain a certain level of cool, but they're nice enough, and once gave me a discount just because they recognized the dress I was wearing as one they'd sold me.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere

 

It's located at 111 E. 7th Street, between 1st Ave. and Avenue A. Even knowing the address, it's oddly hard to find, but don't give up! It's worth the effort.