Join us on a walk down Orchard Street.
Want me to let you in on a little secret? The best fashion spots in New York are the ones you find yourself. At the risk of sounding like a cliché Carrie Bradshaw, the magic of New York City is that fashion is everywhere. You kind of just have to walk around and find your corner of stylish preference. Most recently, Orchard Street has become my go-to walk. It’s full of history, vintage shops, chic boutiques, and it even has Sweet Pickle Books.
However, over my years of living in New York, I’ve managed to pin down some dream locations scattered around the city where I go to either see beautiful clothes on display, interact with people wearing beautiful clothes, or buy beautiful clothes. Here’s a roundup of my favorite spots.
It’s Greek food with incredible personal style. Everyone who works there or dines there is hot. A great spot to bring out-of-towners or for date night.
Speakeasies are the most popular trend for bars in New York City, but while most of them will feel touristy and gimmicky, this one makes me want to dress like a flapper. Say Scott three times in front of the mirror and Fitzgerald himself will rip your gin martini out of your ring-stacked fingers.
Another non-gimmick speakeasy, with an art gallery as a front. Chandeliers hang from the ceilings and the ambiance is decadent yet modern. Great dancing music.
A beautiful new café, wine bar, and bookstore in Soho where everyone will have a book, laptop, or notebook out on their table. Dress your best and release your inner literary ambitions. A book is always a great accessory.
Hear me out: yes, it’s touristy, but the drinks are genuinely delicious and the merch with the Ralph Lauren bear is classy and adorable. Great spot to find gifts and rejoice in all-American opulence.
A cool vintage shop with great curation and an A+ online presence. Dress to impress and hope they ask you for a fit breakdown. They also recently had an open casting call for a blind dating video for Valentine’s Day (if I were single and 24 I might have applied). I’d give them a follow on Instagram because they might do another one soon!
Originally a spot for the Upper East Side vintage-loving girlies, they have expanded to the other side of the park. Their curation feels more girly-pop than Rogue, leaning heavily on romantic aesthetics and pink. It’s a great spot to find unique secondhand pieces.
A trip to Bergdorf’s is always inspirational and educational. Walk around the evening dress floor for a bit. Consider trying on the Versace pants. It’s literally luxury at your fingertips and an experience in itself. If you’re looking to buy luxury, there’s something about the Upper East Side grandmother energy of the place that makes it more welcoming than other luxury shops.
FIT is the Mecca for fashion learning and their museum, open to the public, features rotating exhibits deeply exploring a fashion-related topic. Its collection includes over 50,000 pieces of clothing from a wide range of historic periods and its curation is always impeccable. Love Thy Neighbor’Hood and Statement Sleeves are currently on view.
The Costume Institute houses 33,000 items that date from the 15th century to today. While the biggest exhibitions shown by the Costume Institute open with the Met Gala each year, they hold other smaller exhibitions throughout the calendar. Women Dressing Women is currently on view. The Costume Institute is also accessible to designers, students, and scholars by appointment. 🌀
Laura Rocha-Rueda is a Colombian fashion and fiction writer based in Brooklyn who holds a Creative Writing MFA from The New School. She is your local Swiftie and will gladly chat about anything glittery and soft, and about why dismissing pop culture as frivolous is misguided and sad.