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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 Yelp
Noah Levy is an entertainment news and lifestyle expert, who is regularly seen discussing current events on The Joy Behar show, The Wendy Williams Show, Good Day New York and giving style tips on Extra and New York Live. He also serves as Senior News Editor at In Touch Weekly, and is the father of two dogs, Nino and Sophie. A resident of NYC for over a decade, he sheds some light on his favorite shop on East 7th Street that reminds him of his days as an NYU student.
When I moved to New York ten years ago, I was on the hunt for the best thrift stores that were not overly priced or picked over. I lived in the East Village while I attended NYU, so I spent many days wandering the hood, trying to find the best pair of vintage Levi's or a distressed vintage T-shirt. I eventually found Village Style on East 7th Street and I'm happy to say that ten years later i's still a gem. Regardless of the latest trends, I will always be a fan of a worn-in vintage rock T-shirt of a musician that I love, a vintage Levi's jacket, and some cool '80s high tops.
While most vintage/collectable stores have sky rocketed their prices for such valuable items as these, Village Style has not conceded that a Bruce Springsteen 1984 world tour T-shirt should be $350.00. Call me crazy, but I totally agree with them. I especially love mixing a well-tailored blazer with a unique vintage T-shirt or a vintage piece that has been very well worn throughout the decades. I have found quite a few keepers here, and it is always nice to be reminded of when I was 21 and wanted to be cool.
· Village Style [Official Site]
· Noah Levy [In Touch Weekly]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]