In your wanderings through the streets of the East Village and Lower East Side you’ll stumble across many interesting boutiques selling an assortment of individual items, from handmade jewelry and vintage rock T-shirts to trendy sneakers and wedding dresses.
For a fun hat-shopping experience, try Village Scandal (19 E. 7th St) in the East Village, which sells everything from hipster hats to panamas and their own custom cloche. For the latest in DJ turntables and a good choice of vinyl, head to the Turntable Lab (120 E. 7th St).
Vintage clothes stores and one-of-a-kind clothing boutiques line East 9th Street between Avenue A and second Avenue. Head for resale/consignment shop Tokio 7 (83 E. 7th St) and poke through great designer duds. Getting married? You’ll find gorgeous bridal gowns at Selia Yang (328 E. 9th St).
On the Lower East Side a number of designer co-op boutiques have sprung up, which showcase the work of emerging designers. Singer-songwriter Hillary Flowers also runs a boutique (40 Clinton St) featuring the work of about 20 designers, whose goods are put on display in exchange for working in the store. The Dressing Room (75a Orchard St) is both bar and hip designer emporium, with used and vintage clothes downstairs. Pilgrim (70 Orchard St) is a boutique owned by designers with Donna Karan and Anna Sui, who show off their own affordable designs here. The Frankie Shop (100 Stanton St) showcases international up-and-coming designers.
For men, 20 Peacocks (20 Clinton St) sells high-end European-style men’s shirts and ties. The New York Times calls nearby Assembly New York (174 Ludlow St) ‘the best curated men’s wear store in the city.’ Alongside its own designs it stocks an imaginative selection of other brands and vintage apparel.
