Trash and Vaudeville
Neighborhood: East Village
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Shoes
Description:
I have no doubt that Joey Ramone does a happy dance in his grave every time someone makes a purchase at Trash and Vaudeville. Some say punk is dead but Trash and Vaudeville is in-your-face proof that it is not. Aptly set in the colorful and crazy St. Mark’s section on New York City, this shop is truly one of last remnants of the punk age (and if goth or metal bangs your drum – there’s stuff here for you, too).
T & V boasts a huge inventory for “trashy” dressers of every age – even kids. What I like best about their line is that, as many rips and tears that characterize their hippest clothes, the quality is anything but shabby, and the prices are totally reasonable. Like many native New Yorkers, I sometimes think that quality and affordability were separated at birth – so you can imagine how happy I am to find them co-habitating here at Trash and Vaudeville.
The brands at Trash run a wide spectrum including Tripp NYC, Underground, Pleaser, T.U.K. and more. You’ll find every kind of dress from polka-dot shifts and slinky black basics to bolder choices like a cute leopard print above-the-knee I saw for only $58 (the most expensive dress I saw, which was a white, crocheted piece was just over 100 bucks). There is the rocker’s staple line of super-tight jeans (choose from rips, studs, tie-dye, plaid, zippers jail-stripe motifs and more…) as well as rock tees (the Cure, the Smiths, Joy Division et al), camouflage pants, leather jackets and vests, and more. To give you an idea of how great the prices are, the most costly leather jacket I saw was not even $150.
And, oh! The shoes! This may be the best part. Platform boots, stilettos Doc Martens, “Beatle boots”… If the shoe fits, you’ll find it at Trash. While the footwear tends to be on the more expensive side (I bought those Beatle boots for $185 and I don’t regret a penny of it), the trade-off is, you will be the only one in NYC sporting the most cutting-edge kicks ever – because most of the shoes here are virtually impossible to find elsewhere.
The service at Trash and Vaudeville is “eh…” but it sort of goes along with the too-cool-for-school territory, so don’t feel snubbed or anything. This two-story punk-heaven is worth it…and Jimmy, the owner, totally makes up for any shortfall by the staff. Not only does Jimmy love his customers, he’ll make you feel like the least annoying groupie ever. When you visit Trash, make sure to have Jimmy point you to the 50%-off rack – it rocks.
Trash and Vaudeville
96 East 7th St
(2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 982-3590
Website
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