Assembly New York
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Vintage/Eclectic
Description:
Manhattan is famous for being chock-full of off-beat designers and exclusive garments and just as notorious for being a melting pot where certain labels and clothing items are difficult to find. Thank goodness for Assembly, where a lot of those items are finally pindown-able. Case in point: fashionistas can find hard-to-find labels like Adaism and Christopher Lemair. Not to mention the shop hosts a bi-annual warehouse sale that you’d be silly to miss.
Caveat emptor: the store is notorious for buckling down on shoplifters, so be sure to enter with little or no bags, because your bags will not only be searched once you leave the store, but ruffled through to the point you will probably get a little peeved and be put off by the store altogether. But please, let this not sway you from shopping here, because the inconvenience is well worth the experience you will have going on a spree here.
Aesthetically, you won’t believe your eyes. The sore boasts wooden-planked floors and knick-knacks galore that will make you feel as though you’re not in a boutique at all, but some kind of a stage set meant for the silver screen. And who doesn’t want to feel like a movie star even if just for a couple of hours?
The store is unisex, which means you’ll find a blend of both ruggedly handsome items to fit the burliest of men, alongside feminine attire including intimates, dresses, swimwear and of course staple items like pants (including jeans), shoes, handbags and blouses for women. Prices are on the steep side. For instance I fell in love with a pair of ultra-cool silk trouser stockings sporting a vintage “fruit punch” pattern (designer Strathcona) for $38, and while that may not seem so pricey, I also adored a simple white New York Shawl cardigan (a la Assembly’s exclusive line) which was handmade for $344. I passed on the shawl, but did give in to the stockings. I also saw a pair of boots that not only fit perfectly (I am a size 6 which is so hard to find in stores like these) but cringed when I looked at the sole of one boot to see a $498 sticker.
Assembly flaunts designers like David Michael, Nomia, Atelier VM, Black Crane, Raquel Alllegra and more – and if you haven’t heard of these labels, that’s even more the reason to check out this store for items to purchase for flaunting garb that your best friends will be asking “where in the world….” You can go as far as spending almost $2,000 on a handbag here, or $40 for a plain yet snazzy soft, striped tee. As long as you have the patience to weed through the preposterously-priced items at Assembly you should be okay to go. And don’ forget to do your research and find out about that bi-annual sale, which offers %20 - %60 off some really spectacular items.
Assembled at this exclusive boutique is a line of garments to fit both those of us who live off mom and dad’s trust fund to those of us waitressing our way through living in NYC. The salespeople are more than willing to help you find the items that adhere to fit your funds and your taste, so I endorse Assembly as a must-go-to for New Yorkers and tourists alike.
Assembly New York
170 Ludlow St
Houston St & Stanton St
New York, NY 10002
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