The Borough of Boutiques

Audrey Hepburn. Andy Warhol. Joey Ramone. Madonna. It’s hard to think of a style icon who wasn’t inspired by New York City.

That’s because Manhattan offers more fashion opportunities than just about anywhere else on earth. So why fly all the way to NYC just to get lost in Midtown’s giant chain stores?

Fashion-forward visitors know that in Manhattan, small is beautiful.  
Whether you’re looking for hip vintage duds, one-of-a-kind couture or up-to-the-minute styles, your best bet is to head off the beaten path.

The latest finds are hidden in the little boutiques dotting SoHo, NoHo and the East Village. So avoid Midtown madness, and find everything hot, haute and under-the-radar at these downt own stores.

SoHo

Cloak
10 Greene St 212-625-2828 www.cloakdesign.com
When you’re sporting a look that’s as smart as it is sexy, people stand up and take notice. SoHo’s newest menswear boutique delivers tantalizing racks of the season’s must-haves, all designed by Marc Jacobs’ former pattern maker. It offers a library of smartly lined custom tweeds and cotton twills mixed with an assortment of corduroys—but it’s the jeans that you’ll fall in love with. Beware the Jagger-esque deerskin denim pair—it’s a home-wrecker.

Amarcord Vintage Fashion
252 Lafayette St 212-431-4161 www.amarcordvintagefashion.com
A swank ’80s leather racing jacket. A pair of vintage raw silk culottes with pleated fronts. A casual fit ’70s Diadora gym jacket with canvas shoes. These are the elements of personal style—the kind of finds that make complete strangers stop you on the street to ask, “Where did you find that?” Answering is up to your personal discretion, as long as you don’t mind sharing an entire stock of collectable brands from the likes of Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, and other classic labels like MaxMara and Pooh. Just remember that vintage is no longer synonymous with cheap, and revealing your source could cost you that next great find.

Jack Spade
56 Greene St 212-625-1820 www.jackspade.com
Walking into the newly renovated Jack Spade store is like opening the door to a teenage boy’s bedroom, circa 1955. With its dizzying array of corkboard collages and random knickknacks strewn around, the store looks as if it were clipped out of the pages of Boy’s Life. Designer Andy (husband of Kate) Spade’s famous line of messenger bags and briefcases is available here, but almost everything else in the store is also for sale. So don’t be surprised if, while searching for that flawlessly constructed briefcase, you wind up with the matching Jack Spade Scrabble set. It’s for the kid in us all.

3.1 Phillip Lim
115 Mercer St 212-334-1160 www.31philliplim.com
Despite its shiny, minimalist aesthetic, the space at 3.1 Phillip Lim is surprisingly warm. It could have something to do with the racks of beautiful clothes everywhere, but it’s more likely the white-hot creative energy that Lim invests in each of his creations. A rotating collection of distinct bags, frocks and hard-to-find accessories make this location a must for any fashionista searching for a fix.

But be warned—it’s undeniably addictive.

East Village

Owl’s Lab
20 E 12th St 212-633-2672 www.owlslab.com
If you just checked the labels lining the racks at Owl’s Lab, you’d easily mistake the store for a left coast haunt—which isn’t necessarily bad. Mixed in with big names in New York couture, such as Barbara Bui and Anna Sui, are western pieces from Geren Ford and offbeat tees courtesy of LA Made. Chic and sassy, Owl’s Lab has comfy sofas and avant-garde portraits of fab chicas that add to its whimsical ambience.

Centricity
63 E 4th St • 212-979-7601
Tucked away among cafés and off-off Broadway theaters, this East Village haven is pure vintage ecstasy. Bursting with mouthwatering sales racks (with items as low as $10), and pockets of technicolor accessories, belts and shoes, you’ll feel as if you’d stepped into one of Gwen Stefani’s abandoned closets. Whether you’re in the mood for a Pucci handbag, a multicolored leather slingback or an assortment of retro housewares, you’ll find everything you’re looking for in Centricity. You’ll even have some cash left over—if you don’t get too greedy.

Odin
328 E 11th St • 212-475-0066 www.odinnewyork.com
Odin’s master plan is simple: to sell hip, consummately functional menswear. It has stuck by that ambition, and its success is evident in the designers it showcases. The famous names (Rag & Bone, Trovata) and the ones we’ll hear about tomorrow (Engineered Garments, You Must Create) position Odin as the go-to menswear spot, whether you’re building a wardrobe from the ground up or adding finds along the way. Don’t miss the playful selection of Comme de Garçons wallets and Y-3 sneakers or the Cheap Monday skinny jeans.

Patricia Field
302 Bowery 212-966-4066 www.patriciafield.com
If you want to capture the playful, urbane look of a particular relationship-crazed New York writer and her frisky friends, you can’t go wrong by visiting this boutique. Run by the costume designer for “Sex and the City,” this Bowery boutique is the second in Patricia Field’s repertoire. Chock-full of the most fashion-forward wares you’ll come across this lifetime, the store carries out-there apparel. These items—not surprisingly— sit right alongside glammedout evening gowns and Voom Heidi dresses.

The store is a brightly colored playhouse of accessories, art, jewelry and lingerie.

There’s no question: Patricia Field is an icon.

NoLita/NoHo

Project 234
234 Mulberry St 212-334-6431
Experiencing Project 234 is like witnessing an explosion in the Crayola factory: primary colors everywhere. Owner Kim Pham’s stocks eclectic designers like Lundgren and Windinge, Designer’s Remix, and Buddhist Punk, and she includes a wide selection of vintage clothes from her world travels. Pham brings irrepressible individuality to this cozy boutique—and her unique voice echoes in the store’s amazing selection.

No. 6 Store
6 Centre Market Pl 212-226-5759 www.no6store.com
NoHo isn’t hurting for yet another boutique, but where else but No. 6 can you score a vintage Yves Saint Laurent blouse with giant Carmen Miranda ruffles along the neckline? Owned by vintage collector Morgan Yakus and stylist Karin Bereson, the store has quietly cultivated a devout following of tastemakers. No. 6 stocks one-off vintage pieces and hip independent lines that could easily pass as old movie studio cast-offs. It’s the perfect spot for some serious purse breaking.

Ludivine
172 W 4th St 646-336-6576 www.boutiqueludivine.com
Deep in the heart of the West Village lies something you’d least expect to find in New York City: an authentic Parisian boutique. Styled by the adorable Ludivine Gregoire, a native of Provence, this spot is the nexus for New York City girls who want a taste of real Parisian shopping. Ludivine is adorned with regal French flea market finds and black-and-white photos of Gregoire’s homeland—even the mannequins look a little foreign. Label chasers will ultimately sing Gregoire’s praises for her selection of chic European designers, including Les Prairies des Paris, Vanessa Bruno and Claude Pierlot. The jeans, of course, are strictly from French favorite Notify. But Gregoire even ventures outside the borders with modern Tsumori Chisato shirts and Hanni Y cropped jackets.

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