[My Favorite Park Slope...]: Place To Buy Vintage Clothes

While Park Slope has a lot of vintage/consignment/thrift stores, they mostly offer casual-ware (at least for us guys).  But now and again I like to dapper up, al la Don Draper, which is why I pop into Allure from time to time.  

The owner, a 70-year old Ukrainian named Alexandra, has been on 5^th avenue since back in the days when there wasn’t much open on 5^th Ave.  What sets her apart is the quality of goods.  Rather than reselling as much merchandise as possible, she curates the offerings and so it’s generally high quality stuff.   For example, I just bought an Ermenegildo Zegna blazer for a fraction of what it would cost new, plus a couple of ties from Versace and Valentino.  Score.

The shop is small and the menswear selection is even smaller, so most times I walk away empty-handed.  That said, it’s kinda like that gold mining show… keep on trying and you might find a nugget or two.  For ladies, she has a good mix of clothes, jewelry, purses and other gear.  And if you have fancy duds taking up room in your closet, drop by Allure and see if Alexandra can sell them for you.  She’s a sweet lady and has been challenged by the economy and the rising costs of doing business on 5^th.   

Bottom line:  if you’ve not visited, pop in and see if you can find a hidden gem while supporting a long-time local business.

[Allure on 5th: 233 5th Ave, between Carroll & President. (718) 622-6120]