Where this Menswear Designer Finds Staples on W. 38th Street

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New York City has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic city that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Image via Brett Bara

Abe Burmeister is the founder and CEO of Outlier, a clothing line that uses high-tech fabrics and traditional cuts for a modern spin on menswear. He recommends Sil Thread, an old-school shop that's every designer's dream.

I consider myself a child of the Garment District. Without it, Outlier simply wouldn't exist. The area is still mainly oriented towards wholesale, but if you can get past the chaotic rush of clothing racks and fabric carts, there are some great stores that are open to everyone. The one I use the most is Sil Thread.

True to the name, I buy thread there, but it's also a fantastic source for high quality scissors, measuring tapes, zippers, pattern-making tools and all sorts of garment related bits and pieces. More than anything, I love their commitment to an old school industrial sort of quality. It's not cheap but not luxury either—just well-made tools sold at a square price.

· Sil Thread [Official Site]
· Outlier [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]

Sil Thread

257 W. 38th Street New York NY 10018