BB Gift Guide for Agoraphobes

As professional Brooklyn boosters we’re firm advocates of doing as much holiday shopping in the borough as possible. All of the small businesses and local artisans are part of what makes this place tick and there’s nothing we like better than giving Brooklyn-made gifts this time of year. That being said, it’s also an insanely busy season, and sometimes you don’t have time to hit six or seven small shops, or you just can’t face the crowds at one-stop shopping experiences like holiday fairs?(though we’ll publish a brick-and-mortar round-up tomorrow for you power shoppers out there). Here’s some of our favorite accessible-by-couch Brooklyn shopping. What you’ll spend on shipping you’ll save by avoiding impulse buys.

We’ll be adding to this gift guide over the next week by themed mini-guides on our blog for Book Nerds, Foodie Fiends, Sexy Santas, Fashion Forwards and more types of giftees. For now, here’s the best Brooklyn has to offer, all at your fingertips. No lines, no waiting, no Amazon guilt.

Smell Gooders
Turns out, in Brooklyn we smell good. Or at least, there are a number of people making stuff that will help you smell good. Soapwalla Kitchen makes organic, vegan, skin-nourishing bath and body products. If you’re looking to treat someone special check out the Lavender Love gift set with a lavender-eucalyptus scented face and body bar, body wash and bath salts ($50). We are also huge fans of their totally organic deodorant cream ($10). So, it’s not exactly a romantic gift, but it’s so far superior to other hippie deodorants and no aluminum salts or other scary chemicals, if you know, things like that worry you.

We also super love the eclectic, memory-stirring scents at CB I Hate Perfume. Williamsburg-based olfactory wizard Christopher Brosius makes perfumes that smell like memories. Or memories of dreams. Or memories of entire summers. It sounds pretentious, but seriously, his scents are like experiences, not brands and they are amazing. In addition to staple scents, like Fire from Heaven, which we often wear, CB creates limited edition scents including Gingerbread for the holidays. It doesn’t make you smell like a cookie so much as, well, Christmas magic. Perfumes come in water-based sprays ($75-100) and more concentrated “absolute” formulas. You can also buy 2ml samples of the absolutes for $10-20, which are perfect stocking stuffers.

Another local perfumist, Anne McClain of MCMC Fragrances, just introduced the perfect gift for the moustached, goatee-d or bearded man in your life: scented beard oil. The fragrance, with notes of Virginia cedarwood, green coriander and pink peppercorn, was originally designed as a cologne for her then-boyfriend, now husband. He’s the one who decided to roll it on beard, so really, any man can use “Dude No. 1.”

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Book Nerds
Greenlight Bookstore–another one of our favorite small businesses–just got into the online game. The process isn’t exactly as easy one-click ordering, but staff picks for fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks and kids makes for a savvier selection process, and all the categories are chock full of Brooklyn authors.

If your favorite reader has a taste for the sartorial, check out Novel Ts. Take the American literary canon. Now imagine as a series of baseball teams. Now make super-soft t-shirts for those teams. Yes, there’s a t-shirt with a whale on the front and the name “Dick” on the back. Our favorites are the two new Vonnegut-themed shirts ($24.95). In this literary world, Kilgore Trout is on the same team as Gatsby. Not only are they made in Red Hook, one dollar from each shirt is donated either to 826NYC, a non-profit supporting arts education, or to Doctors without Borders.

Foodie Fiends
The Brooklyn Kitchen recently updated their website and online store, so you don’t even have head to Williamsburg to get your hands on a new Sodastream or copper pan (if you’re feeling spendy) for the cook in your life. This French carafe with four glasses is designed so that the glasses (easily replaceable at any kitchen store, so no worries about breaking up the set) stack right into the neck of the bottle. At $30 it’s perfect for wine, water or whatever you’re drinking. Fill it with margaritas and carry it up to the roof come summer. At $30, we’re not sure who wouldn’t want this as a gift. Brooklyn Kitchen also sells gift certificates online, so your recipient could choose to take a pickling, canning, baking or cooking class in one of their two kitchen labs.

Sourced from upstate New York, and treated and sealed to be food safe, Brooklyn Slate is a totally original take on the classic cheese board, and this season, on their site only, they’re offering gift-basket-esque presents called “pantry collectives.” There are three to choose from, and all feature some variation of Castleton Crackers, a Ted & Honey condiment, Shelburne Farms Cheddar and a slate cheese board for $50. It’s like the locavore’s answer to Harry & David.

Design Mavens
Supermarket is an online indie design megamart. It’s less overwhelming, and much better curated, than Etsy, but still, it’s a rabbit hole. There are three Brooklyn designers on Supermarket who we especially love. Build Your Block sells pillows silkscreened with the likeness of Brooklyn buildings (as seen at the top of this post), in a variety of pop-y colors and sizes. We’re also digging this print from Mélangerie of line drawings of foods representing each state. And, while designer and ceramic artist Kim Westad works in the Bronx, we love her elegant bowls, cups and vases enough to include her in a Brooklyn round-up.

Brooklyn-based?Design Glut offers another online treasure trove of design-y gifts, from housewares to jewelry. There are stocking stuffers like the $8?cubic switchplate, globally minded jewelry like the currency bracelet ($24) or the world necklace ($60), and really smart storage options like the jar tile ($30).

Published on 12.2.10.

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A Brooklyn Shop Girl’s Guide to Black Friday

I spend a lot of time in retail stores. Probably because I work in one, but also because the only thing I do more than help others shop is shop myself. I’m your neighborhood shop girl and with years of retail experience on both sides of the cash register, I can give you all the tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

Since everyone is looking to score a deal this week, I thought we’d start things with some tips on shaking off the tryptophan hangover and hitting the stores this Friday. The day after Thanksgiving is the holiest day on the shopping calendar, the Olympics of retail, the day when dreams of designer fashions and home electronics at affordable prices are made and broken. This isn’t just a President’s Day Sale people—this is Black Friday.

1-Mentally prepare for the melee. Have coffee, tea, a yoga session, or a meeting with your spiritual advisor or palm reader. Whatever it takes for you to be in top mental condition at 4 AM, do it.

2-A little reconnaissance work can go a long way. Make a list of stores and the items you want from each one. Check store web sites and Facebook pages this week—there may be extra coupons and savings if you’re on their mailing list, or some extra deals you can print out and take with you. It doesn’t hurt to know the floor plan of the store either. Sales don’t count if you’re lost in the wrong elevator bank.

3-Use credit cards. It’s faster than cash and harder to steal. Use this opportunity to get your frequent flier miles, sale price protection, extra warranties, or points (but don’t use it as an excuse to buy everything in sight—trust me, you do not, under any circumstances, need harem pants).

4-Bring back up. Alexander the Great was nothing without his army, so there’s no way you’re going to conquer the furniture gallery at Macy’s on Fulton Street without some help. Divide and conquer, my friends (and all the better if there’s a group to carry home your spoils of war).

5-Wear the right clothes. Leave the five-inch heels at home and travel light. Don’t waste time waiting in line for dressing rooms—wear clothing you can slip items over. Avoid bulky coats and bags because they’ll weigh you down as you maneuver the sale sections.

6-Be nice to the sales people. The only thing more frightening than shopping Black Friday is working it. Sales associates are the only people who know where that last Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer in pink is, or where an extra cashmere sweater in your size is hiding.

7-Bring sustenance. You can’t shop ‘til your drop if you’ve already dropped from low blood sugar, so stick an energy bar in your bag and bring some water. Door busters are almost as important as your health. Almost.

8-Confrontations. You and a fellow shopper grab the same dress. Be polite, but firm. That dress is going home with you because the shopping gods told you so and it’s fashion destiny. If all else fails, tell her you’re pregnant, have cancer, or you “just want to try it on for size” before bolting (but only if you think you can outrun her—that’s where tip #5 comes into play).

9-Stay home. If it all seems too overwhelming, stay in your sweatpants and score some Black Friday deals online. Sites like retailmenot.com and couponcabin.com have additional savings, and most stores have the deals available on their websites, sometimes starting the night before. Get your online bargain hunting practice in before Cyber Monday (the Black Friday of internet shopping).

I hope these tips have you geared up and ready to go for the biggest and baddest shopping day of the year. Above all, remember to play nice. No one wants to end up like that lady who got trampled at Wal-Mart last year. Happy shopping!

Lauren Soroken is your friendly neighborhood shop girl. She lives in Prospect Heights with a very large collection of vintage accessories.

Published on 11.24.10.

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BB Guide: Vintage Shops

When it comes to vintage shopping, one Brooklynite’s goldmine is another’s pile of old clothes. Navigating the many vintage, secondhand and junk shops scattered around the borough can be tricky–shoppers looking for mint-condition vintage designer pieces aren’t necessarily going to be pleased with a store full of well worn Western shirts and rock tees. So, we’ve put together a guide to some of Brooklyn’s most popular purveyors of second-hand stuff (going beyond staples like Beacon’s Closet and Buffalo Exchange) so you’ll know whether to expect mid-century Dior or early 80s polyester–or both–when you head to a store on our list.

Collecther Bed-Stuy, 306 Franklin Ave. (at Lafayette) 347-658-7857
This tiny shop, which is now open Tuesday through Saturday 12-8, and Sundays 12-6, is one of our favorites. Owner and designer Shana Jackson’s tightly edited selection spans a few decades but right now styles from the late 70s and early 80s are prevalent, in a wide range of sizes (anywhere from 4-14), all at super reasonable prices. Shana herself is an incredible stylist, and when you go in it’s as if you have your own personal one at the ready to help pick through the slammin’ boot selection, great coats, dresses, cowl neck sweaters, belts and sunglasses. Plus, she now runs a Recessionista Weekend special Saturdays and Sundays, where everything in the store is 25 percent off. We dare you to walk out without an original piece.

Re/Dress NYC, Boerum Hill, 109 Boerum Place (between Dean and Pacific), 718-522-7962
Vintage shopping can be a real challenge for plus-size fashionistas–there usually just isn’t that much to choose from over a modern size 10. Re/Dress fixes that problem with a large selection of vintage (and new) items, size 14 and up. The best finds are dresses and coats, though they carry shoes, tops, pants, skirts and jewelry as well. The sales staff is extremely helpful and they’re eager to help shoppers find an ensemble that hugs curves in just the right way.

Olive’s Very Vintage Carroll Gardens, 434 Court St. (at 2nd Pl.) 718-243-9094
Olive’s is the kind of vintage store with a little bit of everything. Shoppers are as likely to find a fox fur muff from the 40s as they are a pair of black lace Nicole Miller evening pants from the 90s. Recent items of particular interest included a selection of beaded cocktail dresses and butterfly tops from the 70s and full-length skirts–similar to looks that graced the runways of designers like Marc Jacobs this fall. Ponchos and capes coagulate on Olive’s racks as well, and a large assortment of leather boots peek out from its front windows.

The Thing Greenpoint, 1001 Manhattan Ave. (between Huron and Green) 718-349-8234
Like something out of the abyss or black lagoon, this Greenpoint junk shop is an indescribable entity. “Dig if you dare” could easily be its motto, and the grab-bag approach merchandising is endearing if a little overwhelming. African statues, tennis rackets, pink feather boas and a Humanities High School Pentathlon 1st Place trophy all sat in the window together on a recent visit. A classic khaki trench coat was hanging on a clothing rack outside, and it’s possible to find well-priced gems here from time to time–we once scored a 50s shirtwaist dress with a rocket print and rhinestone buttons here for $19. A trip to The Thing is a true must if you’re into records. Both the basement and the back room are entirely devoted to them, stacked in crates from floor to ceiling. Be prepared to devote some time to finding an amazing album, but pure quantity dwarfs all but the most serious of record shops in terms of selection. As a sign hung over the basement steps demands, “Respect the Records.”

Almost New Vintage Clothing Park Slope, 68 St. Marks Ave. (between 5th and 6th Aves.) 718-398-8048
Almost New is more like the over-stuffed closet of a well-dressed grand dame than a vintage shop. Luxe furs fill the racks and walls of this Park Slope clothier. Sable, seal, fox, rabbit and mink are enough to give Michael Kors a coronary. Fur was a major fall fashion trend on runways and vintage is a way to get a fur fix without the price tag and stigma attached to new fur items. For those looking for items that are a little less fuzzy, Almost New also has an extensive selection of evening bags and jewelry, most of which has been collected at estates sales.

Guvnor’s Park Slope, 178 5th Ave. (at Lincoln Pl.) 718-230-4887
This vintage and thrift store has the air of classic American rebellion–think Cry Baby or Rebel Without a Cause. The bulk of its weighty collection of vintage goods focuses on the 40s through 70s, but its overall aesthetic lingers in the red-white-and-blue angst of the early 50s. The store’s staples include jeans, work shirts, dresses and leather jackets. Guvnor’s is a great place to find a just-right pair of jeans–owner Suzette Sundae hand-picks vintage denim from labels like Levi Strauss. And while the store is not designer oriented, it’s just as possible to find a Prada blouse or Pucci dress to pair with that leather jacket.

Odd Twin Park Slope, 164 5th Ave. (at Degraw St.) 718-633-8946
This Slope storefront carries vintage items for men, women and children, from the 20s to the 80s, and the inventory is priced at $100 or less, excluding the fanciest of women’s dresses, which start at $150. “We try to keep things reasonable, so people will buy and it doesn’t just end up being a museum,” says owner Francesca Neville. More surprising than the prices are the tags themselves, which carry hand-written descriptions of each piece, identifying the decade each item is from. Though they’re light on pants for the ladies, they do have a reasonable selection of men’s denim and slacks. Collared shirts and lived-in tees for men, as well as dresses, skirts and tops for the ladies, make up the majority of Odd Twin’s stock. Boots and belts are also abundant.

1 Of A Find Vintage Prospect Heights, 633 Vanderbilt Ave. (between St. Marks and Prospect Pl.) 718-789-2008
This Prospect Heights shop holds all the haute couture a “vintagista,” as owner Honey Moon calls her clientele, could ask for. 1 of a Find encompasses all four pillars of fashion–jewelry, shoes, bags and clothes. When we visited a toffee-colored Hermes Birkin bag beckoned from the shelf beside the register and a silver-stitched Escada skirt embodied the store’s stated aesthetic: Unique, designer and inspirational pieces. Moon caters to the cocktail-party sartorial set–don’t expect to find denim here. Recent highlights varied from a pair of mint-condition Wedglings–multi-color foil wedges from the 30s–to a 70s Sasha harem pantsuit. And while 1 Of A Find is mainly focused on women’s vintage clothing, making it a first-stop shop for an exceptional little black dress, Moon hasn’t forgotten about the men, or the current menswear-inspired trends either. Perry Ellis oxfords anyone?

Bopkat Vintage Red Hook, 117 Union St. (between Columbia and Van Brunt) 718-222-1820
This out-of-the-way shop on the Columbia Street Waterfront is “the kind of store Joan would shop in,” says owner Laura Bascaglia. She’s referring, of course, to the Joan Holloway character from Mad Men, who has become famous for the way her curves fill out the 50s silhouettes the show has helped usher back in vogue. Bopkat specializes in mid-twentieth century clothing, collectibles and accessories. Label-less dresses from the time period in classic cuts conjure up images of Jackie Kennedy and June Cleaver, and a selection of cats-eye glasses on the counter were equally enticing. And while the Don Drapers of the world will be disappointed by the small selection of men’s suits from the 50s, a large selection of work-wear inspired outfits are on hand, as well as an assortment of hats.

Junk! Williamsburg, 500 Driggs Ave. (at N. 9th St.) 718-388-6981
It’s full of it, as its name implies. Junk! specializes in the obscure, which recently included an entire box of fox head pelts priced at $4.99 a pop. Something about Junk! gives off a surreal circus vibe, and the excellent thing about this basement shop in the Buffalo Exchange building in Williamsburg is that everything they carry, they carry in bulk. Stacks of steamer trunks, rows of wooden furniture, bowls of buttons and quite possibly the borough’s largest selection of costume earrings are all found in this subterranean store, along with a derelict doll house or two.

Horizons Williamsburg, 377 Metropolitan Ave. (at Havemeyer St.) 718-647-4981
Entering Horizons is like walking into an apricot. The sunshiney interior is in stark contrast to the mainly minimalist inventory. Racks of clothing in creams, camels, navys and blacks evoke a sense of casual luxury without the expensive price tags. When we visited the chunky knit scarves were especially charming, as were a pair of lace-up leather boots in the front window, sitting beside well-worn leather totes, satchels and side bags perfect for carrying your entire life around in.

Malin Landaeus Williamsburg, 111 N. 6th St. (at Bedford Ave.) 646-361-0261
It would be easy to walk right by Malin Landaeus, which sits just off Bedford in Wiliamsburg, and for a female vintage clotheshorse, that would be a mistake. More like a French salon or a living room than a shop, Malin Landaeus has an easy air of European chic. An eclectic collection of vintage hats hang on antlers and hat trees when not tipped just so on the head of sales associate Marie Mamonia, who enjoys the added perk of wearing outfits from the store on her shift. “We have tea parties every Sunday,” she told us. “Come by and play dress up.”? Malin Landaeus is a niche store for wears from designer Norma Kamali in particular, as well wardrobe pieces with a more romantic mien, such as full-length dresses, flowy silk shirts and delicately-detailed little black dresses. The shop frequents in vintage that’s closer to contemporary–80s and 90s items–and specializes in larger shoe sizes as well. Many of the amazing hats resting atop all those antlers are head pieces created by local milliner Michael Calloway exclusively for Malin Landaeus.

10 Ft. Single by Stella Dallas Williamsburg, 285 N. 6th St. (at Metropolitan Ave.) 718-486-9482
This shop measures more like a warehouse than a 10-ft. single no matter which yardstick you use, and it’s a veritable smorgasbord for vintage shoppers. Classic-rock style of the late 60s and early 70s is Stella’s overall aesthetic, but there’s more here than just a bunch of worn-in rock tees–not that aren’t appealing. Stella’s is an excellent place to look for military-inspired pieces, as well as find authentic military items such as French arm undershirts ($25) from the 20s. It also has an excellent assortment of boots for both men and women in a range of heights from the ankle to over-the-knee. Other standouts include a selection of collared fur coats, pelts and hats and chunky knits you just want to curl up in.

Stella Dallas Living Williamsburg, 281 N. 6th St. (at Metropolitan Ave.) 718-387-6898
The sister store and next-door neighbor of 10 Ft. Single by Stella Dallas, Stella Dallas Living has floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves full of authentic vintage blankets and textile fabrics for the industrious individual interested in making their own clothing or home items from scratch. Fabrics range from $15 to $60 per yard, and blankets go from $40 to $200. Fabrics, on the whole, are intricately designed, with details ranging from flora and fauna motifs to stripes and polka dots. Quilts are also easy to come by. Jewelry cases encompass the counter in the back. Bandanas, yardsticks and wooden crates of vintage license plates add just the right eccentric touch.

Visit the BB Blog for vintage shopping tips from store owners.

Published on 11.4.10. Text and photos by Jordan Galloway

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