It took me six months, but I’ve finally put together the companion for my menswear directory, and I’m ready to declare it the definitive guide to shopping in New York City. You can find my NYC Menswear Shopping Guide here. 

Although women’s boutiques are highlighted more often than men’s, I still find that listicles titled “The 10 BEST Places to Shop in NYC” or “An EXPERT’S Guide to NYC Shopping” are either outdated, generic, or only comprised of shops for a certain tax bracket. My goal with this guide is to outline shops at a variety of price points, for a variety of customers. As a shopaholic myself, I hope it will help not only tourists but NYC locals looking to explore new spots. This is as comprehensive a list as I could assemble from my own experiences, so if you believe an egregious oversight has been made, feel free to send me your recommendations on Instagram @ divineeprovidence.

All shops have been assigned a general price range on a scale of $-$$$.

Secondhand Clothing

Left: Thrift Lab in Greenpoint. Right: Stella Dallas Living in Williamsburg.

For Vintage:

1. Stella Dallas 10ft Single + Stella Dallas Living
   Neighborhood: Williamsburg
   $-$$
   If you’re looking for vintage in Brooklyn, there is no better place in terms of value and selection than Stella Dallas. They occupy two adjacent storefronts; “Living” focuses on more unique, antique pieces and rugs, and “10ft Single” focuses on deadstock and used vintage.
2. James Veloria
   Neighborhood: Chinatown
   $$-$$$
   Tucked away in a mini-mall in Chinatown is a gem of a vintage store, founded by Collin James Weber and Brandon Veloria Giordano. It’s a favorite spot for celebrities (most recently, Hunter Schafer for Vogue) and editorial stylists, selling special vintage pieces from designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood.
3. Shop 86
   Neighborhood: Greenpoint
   $$
   The majority of clothing at Shop 86 is 90s-00s designer womenswear, with some menswear in the mix. The shop is comprised of multiple vendors selling in the space, so expect to pay higher prices than you would online. It’s also next door to boutique Marmalade, which stocks brands like Batsheva and Stine Goya, and around the corner from Seven Wonders Collective, another multi-vendor vintage spot. 
4. Amarcord
   Neighborhood: Williamsburg
   $$$
   Amarcord takes the cake for the most beautiful (and topical!) window displays in New York City, and inside is a treasure trove of luxury vintage. However, their Designer and Media resource, a rental archive that holds over 50,000 pieces, makes them stand apart from all the other vintage stores in Brooklyn. 
5. Angels Boutique
   Neighborhood: East Village
   $$
   The newest shop on this list is Angels Boutique, which offers a curated selection of vintage and designer fashion from the 1990s and 2000s. The interior is Instagram-ready, and the clothes are right on the pulse of what the 20-something IT girls of NYC are wearing right now. 
6. Morphew World NY
   Neighborhood: Lower East Side
   $$$
   The official subtitle of Morphew World’s NYC location is “Comme and Get It”– a reference to their staggering collection of Japanese avant-garde clothing. If you’re wondering how much Junya, Comme, and Undercover can be squeezed into a tiny storefront on Orchard Street, there’s only one way to find out.  
7. Thrift Lab
   Neighborhood: Greenpoint
   $
   Although it’s only open on the weekends, I always stop in when I’m spending a Sunday in Greenpoint. It’s a bit confusing to find (on the third floor of a building you have to buzz into), but I’ve found some great pieces for low prices, and it also happens to be across the street from one of my favorite cafes, Kettl. 

For Modern Clothing / A Mix of New and Old:

1. Tokio7
   Neighborhood: East Village
   $−$$$
   Although they have an online store, the majority of pieces stocked by Tokio7 are only ever listed in the brick-and-mortar store. They buy and sell more experimental, unique pieces from designers like Rick Owens, CDG, and Issey Miyake.
2. +BKLYN
   Neighborhood: Williamsburg
   $$
   Created to fill the untapped niche of stylish and trendy plus-size clothing, +BKLYN is a buy/sell/trade store for customers size 12 and up. They sell a mix of vintage and modern styles with a focus on sustainability. 
3. Beacon’s Closet
   Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, Greenpoint, Bushwick, Park Slope
   $
   Beacon’s Closet is the buy-sell-trade darling of NYC. If you have the time and patience to trawl through the racks, you may be able to stumble upon some serious designer steals. The Greenpoint location is the best of the four and offers a lot of womenswear as well.
4. Urban Jungle (and L Train Vintage)
   Neighborhood: Bushwick
   $
   If you walk around in NYC long enough, you will inevitably see the black tote bag that reads “L Train Vintage”. You can find gems at any of the locations, but Urban Jungle is the best of this chain. It occupies an absolutely massive space with both men’s and women’s clothing, so budget enough time to browse thoroughly. Directly around the corner from Urban Jungle is the L Train Vintage, which is more curated and comes with heftier price tags.
5. Other People’s Clothes
   Neighborhood: Ridgewood, Bushwick, Williamsburg
   $
   Other People’s Clothes is very similar to Buffalo Exchange and Beacon’s Closet, but it also has a popup for local designers at the Bushwick location and hosts events like recycled runways. They recently opened a large location in Williamsburg off of the Marcy J/M stop, which offers even more secondhand goodies. 
6. Le Point Value
   Neighborhood: Mt. Hope, Longwood, Bushwick, Prospect Park, Flatbush, New Lots
   $
   Le Point is a thrift store chain throughout NYC that sells men’s, women’s, and kid’s clothing. The Flatbush locations are the largest, but most locations have a wide selection to offer. They have some of the lowest prices of any thrift chain in the city.
7. 2nd Street
   Neighborhood: Chelsea, Upper East Side, Noho, Soho, Lower East Side, Union Square
   $-$$
   Suggesting 2nd Street as a shopping location is somewhat akin to recommending Sbarro as a great spot to grab a New York Slice, but it is the nature of this type of store to vary in quality depending on the area, and the NYC locations are generally fairly priced and well-stocked.
8. The RealReal
   Neighborhood: Cobble Hill, Soho, Lenox Hill
   $$-$$$
   Yes, that The RealReal also has brick-and-mortar locations in NYC! In addition to shopping designer consignment, you can also have your items appraised or drop off pieces you’re looking to sell. 

An elaborate custom window display at Amarcord Vintage in Williamsburg.

Retail

For High Fashion:

1. Dover Street Market
   Neighborhood: Nomad
   $$$
   Dover Street Market is a playground of designer fashion. Part art installation, part clothing store, it offers one of the most immersive experiences of any high-end shop in Soho. It also includes a gourmet cafe if you get hungry from all that retail therapy.
2. ELKEL
   Neighborhood: Chinatown
   $$$
   ELKEL is an avant-garde menswear boutique that prides itself on being “eclectically eccentric”. Do you need a Rick Owens gimp jacket? Do you need neon yellow Chelsea boots or a leather penis keychain? Look no further.
3. Atelier
   Neighborhood: West Village, Flushing
   $$$
   Atelier New York was the shop that first introduced Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, and Werkstatt Munchen to New York City. They still stock all three, as well as most luxury designers in that same vein.
4. IF
   Neighborhood: Soho
   $$$
   IF is one of the oldest clothing stores still operating in Soho. Its striking appearance attracted Andy Warhol, who offered the shop free advertisements in Interview magazine for a full year. Today, IF carries men’s and women’s clothing from designers like Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, and Guidi.

For Contemporary Style:

A selection of shoes and home goods at the Sabah store in Soho.

1. No.6
   Neighborhood: Soho
   $$-$$$
   Founded in 2005 by designer Karin Bereson, No.6 is a brand and store for “anyone, anytime, anywhere”. In addition to their house label, they stock a range of smaller, sustainable designers and sell a curated collection of vintage that all feels chic and easy to wear. 
2. 180 the Store
   Neighborhood: Tribeca
   $$$
   180 the store is a beautiful showroom that not only sells men’s and women’s clothing, but furniture, jewelry, and home goods as well. From blown glass vases to cashmere turtlenecks, they’ve got you covered.  
3. 7115 by Szeki
   Neighborhood: Williamsburg
   $$
   There’s no better example of how beautiful minimalist clothing can be. Even their showroom is simple but impeccable. Founded in NYC in 2008, 7115 by Szeki makes their clothes in small batches and focuses on immaculate craftsmanship at an appropriate price point. 
4. Dana Foley
   Neighborhood: Bowery
   $$
   Where do the cool girls of lower Manhattan shop? Probably Dana Foley. The eponymous brand sells sequin party dresses, silk halter tops, and pinstripe skirts (all of which are always styled on instagram with sneakers and knee socks to give the “glam tomboy” look the brand aims for). They also stock designer vintage from brands like Gaultier and Cavalli. 
5. Sabah
   Neighborhood: Soho
   $$
   Sabah produces beautiful, handmade shoes for men, women, and kids. They also often host block party-style events with free food and drink, so keep an eye on their Instagram.

For Streetwear:

1. Assembly New York
   Neighborhood: Bowery
   $$
   Assembly gets extra points for using upcycled and deadstock collections for their brand, and for keeping production local to NYC. Their storefront stocks their house brand, modern RTW clothes from other local brands like Elena Velez and Vaquera, and a small selection of home goods. 
2. KITH Women
   Neighborhood: Noho
   $−$$$
   Kith hit the scene in 2011 and has maintained its chokehold on the streetwear scene ever since. They have exclusive collaborations and pieces from brands like Coperni, Diesel, New Balance, and many more. This location is also host to a cafe and flower shop, which is pretty cute. 
3. Happy 99
   Neighborhood: Chinatown
   $
   Run by just a two-person team, Happy99 has my favorite branding of any store in NYC. In their website, clothes, and store interior, they’ve captured the world of the 00s-10s internet days in a way that somehow doesn’t feel trite despite the apparent saturation of that aesthetic era. If you want clothes, jewelry, or accessories that evoke the best of y2k, this is the spot to go.
4. Berriez
   Neighborhood: South Williamsburg
   $$
   Although Berriez stocks vintage in all sizes, their focus is on modern plus-size clothing (L-5X). They spotlight emerging designers and rework vintage styles to provide more options for the plus-size community. 
5. Alumni
   Neighborhood: Crown Heights, Flatbush, Flushing
   $-$$
   Alumni NYC stocks brands like Issey Miyake, Maison Kitsuné, and Brain Dead with extremely competitive sale prices.

Inside the KITH Women’s Store in Soho.

For the Luxury Shopping Experience:

1. Saks Fifth Avenue
   Neighborhood: Midtown East
   $$$
   Whether you want to feel like Holly Golightly or Carrie Bradshaw, Fifth Avenue is the heart of NYC luxury shopping. Their shoe department is so big that it has its own zip code! No, really, it does (10022-SHOE). This location also has a spa, nail salon, French restaurant, brow bar, and six-seat omakase… It’s everything you could ask for from a shopping experience. 
2. Ralph Lauren NYC Flagship
   Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Williamsburg, Soho
   $-$$$
   The Renaissance revival mansion that houses the Ralph Lauren flagship store on 867 Madison Ave. is so decadent that it can almost be overwhelming. Inside, Purple Label, Double RL, and Polo Ralph Lauren each have their own dedicated rooms.
3. Bergdorf Goodman
   Neighborhood: Midtown West
   $$$
   Similar to Saks, Bergdorf is the other all-inclusive giant of Fifth Avenue, with TEN floors of luxury shopping. If you’re visiting in the winter, they have the best Christmas window displays in the city– I look forward to them all year. 
4. Bloomingdale’s
   Neighborhood: Upper East Side
   $$$
   The OG of department stores, Bloomingdales is now America’s only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store. With five restaurants and nine floors of shopping, you could spend all day here if you wanted to. 

For Accessories:

1. Fabulous Fanny’s
   Neighborhood: East Village
   $$
   Although most recently spotted in the background of Bella Hadid’s paparazzi pics as she shopped for “office siren” frames, Fabulous Fanny’s has been around for over 30 years. If there’s a style of sunglasses or eyeglasses you can imagine, they’ve got it. 
2. Kathe’s Jewelry
   Neighborhood: East Village
   $-$$
   Kathe’s is the kind of old-school jewelry store that makes hunting for something special fun again. Primarily vintage and primarily sorted by color, it’s a good place to find a unique piece for a great price. 
3. Catbird
   Neighborhood: Soho, Williamsburg, Midtown
   $$-$$$
   When I worked at Catbird, it was just a hole in the wall on Bedford Ave. My most commonly uttered phrases were “excuse me” as I tried to squeeze past my coworkers and a constant stream of customers. These days, they have seven locations offering a range of delicate, minimalist jewelry, as well as their signature “zapping” service, where you can have a bracelet permanently welded on your wrist.
4. Susan Alexandra
   Neighborhood: Lower East Side
   $$
   Want to make your own customized necklace, bracelet, or earrings? Go to the charm bar at Susan Alexandra’s flagship store, and while you’re there, check out the bags she’s famous for. You won’t be able to find a beaded purse shaped like a champagne glass or an ant-covered picnic blanket anywhere else. 
5. Haricot Vert
   Neighborhood: Williamsburg
   $-$$
   Like Susan Alexandra, Haricot Vert’s draw is their customizable jewelry and bags. In the new Williamsburg location, you can choose from a wide array of charms (jello? iPod? Altoid tin? A frog in a bowl?). It’s the perfect day activity for a group of friends. 
6. Eye Candy
   Neighborhood: Chelsea
   $
   Perfectly kooky, Eye Candy is an overstuffed accessory store that’s been around since 1996. They provide accessories for fashion designers, editorials, TV shows, and movies, and you can be part of their clientele for a low price. 

Customizable necklaces and bags at Haricot Vert in Williamsburg.