Where this Menswear Stylist Finds Hats on the LES

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

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 Yelp

Stylist Michael Fisher began his career at the age of 18, when he got a job with Annie Leibovitz. Eventually he shifted gears and began assisting stylists like Bill Mullen, Lori Goldstein, and Rachel Zoe before going out on his own. To date, he's worked with stylish dudes like Ty Burrell and Stephen Dorff, and has contributed to publications like PLAYBOY, L'uomo Vogue, and Interview. He's now Fashion Director of Fino/MEN, the latest project from former Vogue accessories director Filipa Fino.

One morning on my way to work, I noticed these amazing posters of Mos Def with Ale et Ange printed above. I followed the posters to the store on Rivington Street. It's the only store on a very "industrial" block and the storefront is covered in hand-painted flowers like children's art. Upon entering, I was greeted by Eloise Simonet knitting. I was first drawn to a row of handmade baseball caps (I'm always wearing one) and the collection of record albums they display. I asked about the posters and tried on every hat in the store as I wowed over the construction and quality of the garments. Plus, they have a great selection of things that are made in the USA. It's hard to believe this type of artistry is still around and still vital. I left the store with a very full shopping bag.

· Ale et Ange [Official Site]
· Michael Fisher [Starworks Artists]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]

Ale et Ange

40 Rivington Street New York, NY 10002